Bulusan ashfalls claim first casualty

LEGAZPI CITY–A 57-year-old farmer of Casiguran, Sorsogon died of an asthma attack in the wake of heavy volcanic ash from Bulusan Volcano.

Bulusan emitted ash anew Wednesday night, showering villages in the towns of Casiguran and Juban, forcing government volcanologists to raise the alert level from one to two.

This was the fifth steam-driven or phreatic explosion since Bulusan Volcano spewed ash last May 22.

The victim, identified as Vicente Guevarra, of Barangay San Juan, Casiguran town, died Thursday morning after his 20-year asthma condition worsened due to his exposure to ash, said Dr. Salvador Destura, municipal health officer.

Casiguran officials declared yesterday a state of calamity to prepare "for the worst that can happen," said Mayor Edwin Hamor.

Crispulo Diolata Jr., officer-in-charge of the Bulusan station of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said they are closely watching the ongoing unrest of the 1,600-meter high volcano.

Diolata said ash clouds drifted in the north and northwest direction, leaving about four millimeters of ashfalls in Barangay Inlagadian in Casiguran town and other villages in Juban town.

Ashfalls were also observed as far as Sorsogon City, about 20 kilometers away from the volcano.

Following the 8:17 p.m. ash emission Wednesday, smaller phreatic explosions and earthquakes were also recorded at about 2:26 a.m. Thursday.

Phivolcs expects more steam-driven explosions to occur, citing the volcano’s previous record of spewing ash for several months.

Citing the apparent increase in the frequency and strength of the previous explosions, Phivolcs said life-threatening volcanic flows are possible.

Alert level two indicates an elevated level of volcanic activity, which may produce hazardous magmatic eruption.

Noel Pura, head of Sorsogon provincial disaster management office, said the ashfalls affect some 9,000 families in Casiguran and Juban towns.

The Department of Education has suspended classes in 23 elementary and high schools within the volcano’s nine-kilometer radius. Colleges remain open though.

The towns of Bulusan, Barcelona, Casiguran, Gubat, Irosin and Juban are directly threatened by Bulusan’s present unrest. There are 45 barangays around Bulusan with a total population of about 45,000. — With Sheila Crisostomo and Sandy Araneta