Bulusan Volcano continues to emit steam, thousands evacuated
BULUSAN Volcano in Sorsogon continues to emit steam and remains under close monitoring, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.
Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said voluminous emission is observed and the volcano’s edifice has inflated, which according to him is an indication of a possibility of another eruption.
Solidum said 29 volcanic earthquakes were recorded for the past 24-hours.
The volcano that erupted on Sunday sent gray plumes into the sky and rained down ash on several villages in the towns of Juban and Irosin towns.
The municipal government of Juban has ordered the forced evacuation of residents in the villages of Buraburan, Sangkayon, Puting Sapa, Añog, Bacolod, Catanusan, and Guruyan.
Among the priorities were persons with respiratory illnesses, senior citizens, and children in Bgy. Puting Sapa who were living inside the 5-kilometer radius of the volcano.
The Philippine National Police also yesterday ordered the immediate mobilization of police units to assist residents in Sorsogon and nearby areas following last Sunday’s phreatic eruption of the Bulusan Volcano.
Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, PNP director for operations, said these units were also ordered to secure business establishments against possible looting incidents.
“PNP OIC (officer-in-charge) Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. instructed RD (Regional Director) PRO5 (Police Regional Office 5) to coordinate with the concerned local government units to determine the assistance that our local police units could extend to ensure the safety of the affected local residents,” De Leon said.
Phivolcs has already hoisted Alert Level 1 over Bulusan Volcano after it spewed a thick plume at 10:37 a.m. on Sunday.
Danao said there are still a number of families living in danger zones and their priority now is to evacuate these individuals in the soonest possible time to safe areas.
He added that unit commanders in Albay and Sorsogon were also instructed to make available the needed vehicles and transportation assets for the evacuation of affected residents.
