Volcanoes send off blasts within days of each other

While many other volcanoes within the Ring of Fire are erupting now, the latest to send off blasts from Tuesday to Friday last week in Asia are Indonesia's Mount Sinabung, Philippines' Mount Bulusan, and Japan's Mount Asama. 

Mount Bulusan

Mount Sinabung

Mount Asama

Govt takes precautions as Mt. Bulusan turns lively

The government has stockpiled food supplies in case of evacuations after Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon emitted ash and smoke six times in recent weeks, officials said Sunday.

In addition to the emergency food packs, authorities are closely watching communities near the volcano, said presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma.

The latest emissions came on Friday, with two other eruptions earlier last week.

"The government continues to monitor the behaviour of Mount Bulusan... so we can safeguard the welfare of about 34,000 affected residents in 22 villages and five towns," said Coloma.

The government volcano monitoring institute said that so far, the emissions have been caused by groundwater mixing with hot rocks inside the 1,565-meter (5,134-foot) volcano.

These "phreatic eruptions" have sent ash and smoke into the air, covering the volcano's slopes and nearby towns, said Winchelle Ian Sevilla, the officer heading a team monitoring Bulusan.

He said that as long as people stay out of the four-kilometer "danger zone" around Bulusan, they would not be hurt by any falling rocks. - GMA Network