Restive Philippine volcano ejects ash

MANILA - A volcano in the eastern Philippines Monday ejected more ash in a growing sign of restiveness, government volcanologists said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Monday morning that it also had recorded 28 volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours at Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, 250 km southeast of Manila.

The agency said the steam-driven ash explosion produced a brownish to light-grayish ash cloud, which rose up to 700 metres above Bulusan’s summit.

“The people residing near valleys and streams are advised to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows in the event of heavy and continuous rainfall,” the agency said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Council alerted police and rescue teams in the four towns located at the foot of the restive mountain.

Bulusan began acting up Saturday, ejecting ash about 600 metres from its crater, prompting government volcanologists to raise the alert level at the mountain.

Bulusan is one of the country’s 23 active volcanoes. Its last eruption was in 2006. No one was hurt.