40 quakes recorded near Bulusan Volcano

No less than 40 volcanic quakes have been recorded near Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province since Thursday morning, dzBB radio reported Friday. Director Renato Solidum Jr, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told dzBB radio that steaming activity accompanied the quakes during the last 24 hours. Solidum said the steam rose 20 to 100 meters high and blew southwest of the volcano. Alert Level 1 remains in effect over the volcano, meaning people are barred from venturing within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone of the volcano. Last Wednesday, a 10-minute ash explosion occurred at 10:06 p.m. although there was no visual observation due to thick clouds covering the summit area of the volcano at the time. Traces of ash were observed at the southwest portion of the volcano particularly at the villages of Cogon, Monbon, San Benon, Gulang-Gulang and Tinampo, including Sitio Omagom, in Irosin town. Meanwhile, Phivolcs warned villagers living in areas beyond the permanent danger zone to take precautions against ash falls during explosions. "Residents near river/ stream channels around the volcano should also be on alert against life-threatening volcanic flows/ lahars because ash and other loose volcanic deposits may be remobilized during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall," it said. - GMANews.TV