SECOND VOLCANO ERUPTION IN PHILIPPINES LEAVES ASH BLANKET

Road visibility was impaired and flights were cancelled after the Bulusan volcano erupted in the Philippines this week.

According to the Philippine seismological agency, the blast lasted a total of 18 minutes. Residents of Juban woke up to what they thought was thunder from a rain storm but turned out to be the volcano erupting.

Last week, Mount Bulusan had its first blast with a grey plume shooting up more than one kilometre. It covered 10 villages in ash.

Although no casualties were reported, the seismological agency raised the alert level to one, indicating “low-level unrest”. The highest level is five.

Renato Solidum, head of the agency warned that there might be another eruption coming soon.

“We still can’t say that it is over. It’s still possible that this eruption could be followed by another one, that’s why we need to be careful with the Bulusan volcano.”

News24 reports that emergency workers were deployed to clean ash-laden roads and guide drivers struggling to see oncoming vehicles.

Volcano eruptions are not new to the area because the Philippines is located in the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire. The island nation has over 20 active volcanoes.

The Bulusan volcano had 12 eruptions in 2016 and 2017.

Image credit: Volcano Discovery