New eruptions, evacuations in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Scientists in the Philippines said Sunday that Mount Bulusan remained restless with an ash plume more than a mile high spewing into the sky.

A new round of explosive eruptions from the volcano prompted the evacuation of another 500 families from the northern Philippines region, civil defense officials told GMANews.com.

In the meantime, a crew has begun dredging a nearby river to remove debris from the volcano, which began erupting Nov. 6.

Officials have not yet raised the threat level at Mount Bulusan; however a 4-mile restricted zone around the mountain remained in effect, China's official Xinhua news agency said.