It’s bubbling in the east of the Philippines. A volcano has ejected a mile-high cloud of ash. The authorities urge caution.

The Bulusan volcano in the east of the Philippines ejected an ash column about a kilometer high on Sunday. In light of the mountain’s activity on the island of Luzon, authorities raised the alert level from zero to one, which equates to a low level of “concern”.

The State Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also called on residents not to stay in the four-kilometer-wide permanent danger zone around the volcano in Sorsogon province – almost 400 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila. Initially, however, there were no evacuations, as the national civil protection authority announced.

Despite the clouds, the column of ash could be seen from the nearby town of Juban, the Phivolcs bulletin said. Ashfall was reported in Juban and in the town of Casiguran. Bulusan is one of the 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has erupted 15 times since 1885, most recently in June 2017. It is a popular tourist destination and known for its hot springs.