One of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes continued spewing ash overnight, raising fears of a possible eruption and leaving one man dead of an asthma attack, officials said on Saturday.
The Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology said an explosion from the 1 565m summit of Bulusan sent ash and steam 1km into the air and showered ash on surrounding villages.
A 57-year-old local man died of asthma triggered by ash that has been spewing from the volcano since Wednesday, the civil defence office said.
The government earlier declared the town of Casiguran, on the slope of the mountain, a “calamity” area after ash from the volcano rained down on roofs.
The exact number of houses damaged in the disaster zone, on the southern tip of the main island of Luzon, was not disclosed.
There were no immediate plans to evacuate residents living around the volcano, but the institute warned that there was an “increasing frequency in ash emissions,” adding that more explosions were expected.
The institute reiterated that residents must stay at least 4km away from the crater, warning that volcanic deposits on the slopes of the mountain could turn into “life-threatening volcanic flows.”
Bulusan has had 15 recorded eruptions, the latest in November 1994.
Twenty-two volcanoes are considered active in the Philippines, part of the so-called “Pacific ring of Fire”, made up of islands created by volcanic activity on the Western Pacific. — AFP