Bulusan erupts; alert level raised

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has placed Mt. Bulusan under Alert Level 1 following a phreatic eruption early morning yesterday.

- By BELLA CARIASO

According to Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol, Alert Level 1 means that the volcano is undergoing low level of unrest.

"Our recommendation is there should be no residents inside the four-kilometer permanent danger zone of Bulusan Volcano," Bacolcol said in a radio interview.

According to him, the phreatic eruption occurred at 4:36 a.m. and lasted for 24 minutes. He added that the permanent danger zone will be extended to six kilometers once the situation is elevated to Alert Level 2.

"There is always the possibility (of increasing to Alert Level 2) but as to when, we don't know yet, but we are closely monitoring the activity of Bulusan.

If there would be changes in its parameters, then we may raise from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2," Bacolcol added.

According to Bacolcol, Mt. Bulusan last erupted in June 2022.

Based on the state bureau's report, the phreatic eruption produced a bent plume that rose 4,500 meters above the crater before drifting west to southwest.

A pyroclastic density current or "uson" descended the southwestern slopes and traveled within three kilometers from the summit vent.

Bacolcol said ashfall was reported in Barangays Cogon and Bolos in Irosin, Puting Sapa, Guruyan and Buraburan in Juban and Tulatula Sur in Magallanes-all in Sorsogon.