Bulusan Volcano Showers Ash On Surrounding Villages

By Agence France-Presse
Philippine Daily Inquirer / June 08, 2006

LEGASPI -- Mount Bulusan spewed a column of ash two kilometers into the night sky on Wednesday, showering surrounding villages in ash, vulcanologists said early Thursday.
The eruption inside Mount Bulusan, some 600 kilometers southeast of Manila, was caused by a build-up of steam, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Vulcanology (Phivolcs) said.

There were no reports of casualties or damage in the villages around the volcano in Sorsogan province.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the explosion happened at 8:17 pm (1217 GMT) sending a cloud of ash two kilometres into the sky.

There was no sign of lava in the 5,133-foot volcano and the government is not raising the alert level around the mountain.

It was the fifth ash explosion from Mount Bulusan since March when the volcano began showing signs of activity. The last explosion occurred on May 31.

The volcano began showing signs of renewed activity on March 19 following a mild earthquake in the area.

Phivolcs alert level one remains hoisted which means that the public is advised not to venture within four kilometers of the summit.

Mount Bulusan forms part of the Bicol volcanic chain, which is sometimes called the volcanic belt, and is composed of active and geologically young volcanos.

The earliest recorded eruption of Mount Bulusan was in 1852.