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| Mayon volcano eruption kills climbers in the Philippines | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Five climbers have been killed after one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes rumbled to life, spewing room-sized rocks towards them. | Five climbers have been killed after one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes rumbled to life, spewing room-sized rocks towards them. |
| The group of nearly 30 climbers and their Filipino guides had spent the night camping before setting out at daybreak on Tuesday for the crater of the Mayon volcano when a sudden explosion of rocks, ash and plumes of smokes jolted the mountain, guide Kenneth Jesalva told ABS-CBN TV. | |
| He said rocks "as big as a living room" rained down, killing and injuring members of his group, some of whom were in critical condition. Jesalva said he rushed back to the base camp at 914 metres (3,000ft) to call for help. | |
| Among the dead were three Germans and their Filipino guide, said the Albay provincial governor, Joey Salceda. He added that everyone on the mountain had been accounted for at midday, except for a foreigner who was presumed dead. | |
| Eight people were injured, and the others were being brought down the mountain, Salceda said. | |
| Ash clouds have cleared over the volcano, which was quiet later in the morning. | Ash clouds have cleared over the volcano, which was quiet later in the morning. |
| "The injured are all foreigners … They cannot walk. If you can imagine, the boulders there are as big as cars. Some of them slid and rolled down. We will rappel the rescue team, and we will rappel them up again," he said from Legazpi, the provincial capital. | |
| An Austrian mountaineer and two Spaniards were rescued with small bruises, he said. | An Austrian mountaineer and two Spaniards were rescued with small bruises, he said. |
| Tuesday's eruption was normal for the Mayon, according to Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. | Tuesday's eruption was normal for the Mayon, according to Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. |
| The 2,460-metre-high mountain about 212 miles (340km) south-east of Manila has erupted about 40 times during the last 400 years. | |
| In 2010, thousands of residents moved to temporary shelters when the volcano ejected ash up to five miles (8km) from the crater. | |
| Solidum said no alert was raised after the latest eruption and no evacuation was planned. | |
| Climbers are not allowed when an alert is up, and the recent calm may have encouraged this week's trek. However, Solidum said that even with no alert raised, the immediate zone around the volcano was supposed to be a no-go area because of the risk of a sudden eruption. | |
| Salceda said he would enforce a ban on climbers. | Salceda said he would enforce a ban on climbers. |
| Despite the risks, Mayon and its near-perfect cone is a favourite spot for volcano watchers. Most enjoy the occasional night-time spectacle of the rim lit by flowing lava, viewing from the safety of hotels in Legazpi. | Despite the risks, Mayon and its near-perfect cone is a favourite spot for volcano watchers. Most enjoy the occasional night-time spectacle of the rim lit by flowing lava, viewing from the safety of hotels in Legazpi. |
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