Philippines Prepares Evacuation Plans Near Volcano
An estimated 50,000 people in six towns in the province would be evacuated in the event of a big eruption, Arnel Capili of the Office of Civil Defence said.
Civil defence officials held evacuation drills to test preparations for a major eruption at Bulusan. The 1,559-metre volcano has erupted 15 times, most recently in November 1994.
Bulusan volcano in the Bicol region has recorded seven minor eruptions since March, spewing tonnes of ash that covered three farming towns around its northern and eastern slopes.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised its alert level on Bulusan to a precautionary 2 earlier this month and reminded residents on Thursday to stay away from the mountain after its crater belched clouds of ash.
At level 3 an explosion is considered possible, at level 4 it is seen as likely and at level 5, the highest alert, an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km.