3 Sorsogon towns affected by ashfall as Mt. Bulusan erupts anew

Metro Manila, Philippines - Villages in three towns in Sorsogon were affected by ashfall on Tuesday, April 29, with some families seeking temporary shelter as the Bulusan Volcano erupted anew.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said 19 villages across Irosin, Juban, and Bulan reported “significant” ashfall after Mt. Bulusan’s hour-long steam-driven eruption.

Glenn Gracilla Encinas, a resident of Brgy. Tinampo in Irosin, shared videos of ash falling like rain in their area. Roads and plants were covered by thick ash.

Over 200 individuals stayed in two evacuation centers in Irosin town, the Sorsogon Provincial Information Office reported.

Firefighters conducted flushing operations on roads as the ashfall caused low visibility on Tuesday evening.

The volcanic event came after Monday’s eruption, which prompted the raise in alert status to Alert Level 1 or “low-level unrest” over Bulusan Volcano.

Phivolcs said the phreatic eruption occurred at 7:43 p.m. on Tuesday and lasted around 1 hour and 17 minutes. It added the volcano emitted ash for six minutes

“The eruption plume was obscured by clouds but likely drifted to the southwest based on the location of communities affected by ashfall,” the agency said.

Phivolcs recorded 66 volcanic earthquakes and a sulfur dioxide flux of 548 tons per day on Tuesday.

“Alert Level 1 (low-level unrest) is maintained over Bulusan Volcano, which means that there are increased chances of phreatic eruptions occurring again,” it said, warning against the entry within the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.