Volcano rumbles, spews ash in central Philippines
MANILA, June 10 (Reuters) A restive volcano in the central
Philippines spewed a column of ash at least 1 km (0.6 mile) into the sky
before dawn on Saturday, raising concern of an eruption in the days
ahead.
There were two minor explosions of Bulusan volcano in the Bicol
region, but there was no sign of laval flow, the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
Ernesto Corpuz, one of the institute's chief monitoring scientists,
said Bulusan's activity had been increasing and more explosions and ash
falls were likely in the coming days.
"Our monitoring indicates magma is rising to the surface," said
Corpuz, referring to hot molten rock inside the volcano.
However, he told reporters that the institute could not predict when
a major eruption would occur, and it was for now keeping its alert level
at 2 on a scale from 1 to 5.
At level 3 an explosion is considered possible, at level 4 it is seen
as likely and at level 5 an eruption has occured with lava flows or ash
columns reaching 6 km (3.75 miles).
Bulusan, one of the six most active volcanoes in the Philippines, has
had five ash eruptions since March.
Officials have warned residents in three towns of Sorsogon province
not to venture within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the 1,559-metre (5,246-foot)
volcano because of the risk of sudden explosions. Casiguran town, on
Bulusan's northern slopes, was declared under a state of calamity on
Friday after ash damaged houses, crops and fish ponds and forced schools
to close.
Like neighbouring Indonesia, the Philippines lies in an area of the
Pacific basin vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Mount Pinatubo, on Luzon island in the northern Philippines, erupted
in 1991 after lying dormant for 600 years. That eruption buried dozens
of villages under tonnes of mud and more than 800 people died, mostly
from diseases in crowded evacuation camps. |