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29 March 2024

4 Germans, 1 Pinoy die as Mayon spews hot rocks

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By CORRESPONDENT

Manila: Four foreign mountaineers and a Filipino guide were killed when Mayon Volcano, acknowledged as the world’s perfect cone, spewed rocks on Tuesday in the Philippine province of Albay, on southern Luzon Island.

The five were part of the 27 people composed of foreign tourists and local trekking guides, who had all been accounted for, reports coming from southern Luzon said.

One of the survivors, 18-year-old Nicanor Mabao, said in a report by the ‘Philippine Daily Inquirer’ that he heard a loud sound similar to a thunder—and immediately knew that Mayon had exploded.

“After hearing the loud sound, I saw very big large boulders coming down at us,” added Mabao, a guide from the Bicol Adventure Tours, who then felt intense heat. “The hot rocks then started hitting us. My whole body felt numb. All I was thinking of was that I had to go down and get out of there.”

Mabao, who was taken down by rescuers in a stretcher at 4.30pm, said his group was at 1,600 metres from the foot of the 2,460-metre peak when the volcano spewed hot rocks.

He said he tried to rescue Sabine Stroberger, a 32-year-old woman from Austria, who also survived. He suffered severe burns in his left leg.

Those who died were Jerome Berin, a Filipino tourist guide, and four Germans, namely, Joanne Edosa, Roland Pietieze, Farah Frances and Furean Stilfer, according to a report from Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office.

The office’s Jukes Nuñez said six of the group had already been brought down as at Tuesday evening while the rest were on their way to town.

Even when Mayon was in no danger of erupting, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has told the public not to venture into a six-kilometre permanent danger zone as the volcano is active.

Phivolcs head Renato Solidum stressed that phreatic eruption (driven by steam) is normal for active volcanoes, such as Mayon, saying that it was just unfortunate that the climbers were near the crater when the volcano spewed ash and steam.

“This is an isolated incident that shouldn’t be blamed on Phivolcs as steam explosions are unpredictable,” Maria Ravanilla, regional director of the Department of Tourism, was quoted by the ‘Inquirer’ as saying.

She revealed that the four German fatalities had not been cleared to climb the Philippines’ most active volcano. She said, however, that climbs to Mayon had been allowed because Phivolcs had placed it on Alert Level 0, which means no imminent volcanic activity.

All tourism activities have been suspended within the six-kilometre permanent danger zone around the volcano pending instruction from Phivolcs, while the fatalities will be retrieved today, Wednesday.

Mayon has erupted 40 times. It ejected ash up to eight kilometres from the crater in 2010, sending thousands of residents to seek shelter at temporary evacuation centres.