Bulusan volcano rumbles after eruption

MANILA (AFP) - A volcano in the eastern Philippines remained "in an abnormal state" on Wednesday a day after it erupted, volcanologists said.

Forty-six minor earthquakes have been detected in the Bulusan volcano since its eruption, and steam and ash continued to pour from its summit, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute warned that another eruption could take place at any time, and that local residents should be alert for volcanic mudflows if heavy rains fall on Bulusan's slopes.

The 1,559-metre (5,145-foot) tall volcano, located on the southeastern tip of the main island of Luzon, erupted on Tuesday morning with a burst of ash that shot six kilometres (four miles) above the crater.

There were no reports of casualties or damage but the ash showered nearby towns, raising fears that people's breathing could be affected.

Bulusan is one of the Philippines' 22 active volcanoes. It is known to have erupted 16 times previously, the last one being in early 2006.

Human settlements are banned within four kilometres (2.5 miles) of the crater.