FILE PHOTO
LEGAZPI CITY — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has detected 178 volcanic earthquakes in Mount Bulusan in the last 24 hours, a higher record than the 149 volcanic earthquakes monitored in the previous day.
In its 5 a.m. bulletin on Saturday, June 11, Phivolcs said the volcano released 613 tons of sulfur dioxide, and its edifice was still inflated.
The plume from the volcano’s crater measured 150 meters tall.
Phivolcs head and Science and Technology Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr. said in a private chat message to Inquirer Saturday that the hydrothermal activity is continuous and could lead to another phreatic eruption.
“The increased seismicity persists and the possibility of a phreatic eruption remains. The seismic activity is related to hydrothermal activity at shallow levels of the volcano,” he said.
On Friday afternoon, the local government of Juban town in Sorsogon ordered again a pre-emptive evacuation of residents living in the 4-to-6 kilometer danger zone.
Phivolcs raised the status of the volcano to alert level 1 after it spewed steam-rich gray plumes that rose about a kilometer on June 5.
READ: Phivolcs raises Alert Level 1 over Mount Bulusan amid increased seismic activity