Bulusan Volcano emits steam, ash

Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon produced a steam and ash explosion on Friday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Friday.

“At 8:09 a.m., [the volcano] produced a steam and ash explosion which lasted for five minutes based on seismic records,” Phivolcs said in a 1:30 p.m. advisory,

“The event was not observed visually due to thick rain clouds covering the summit. At around 10:30 a.m., when the crater became visible, strong to moderate, dirty white steaming was observed which reached 200 meters high and drifted west northwest coming from the northwest vent of the volcano,” it said.

The volcano remained under Alert Level 0 status but the local government units are reminded that entry to the four-kilometer permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited due to the possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.

Five volcanic quakes were detected in Bulusan the past week, but after the steam and ash explosion, Phivolcs recorded approximately 40 volcanic quakes.

Phivolcs also warned civil aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as any sudden phreatic eruption could be hazardous to aircraft.

People living within valleys and along river or stream channels should be vigilant against sediment-laden stream prolonged rainfall, the advisory said. RC