Mayon volcano spews ash; 5 climbers killed

MANILA (3rd Update, 10:53 a.m.) — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said five, including four foreigners, died after Mayon volcano spewed ash on Tuesday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Mayon volcano produced a small phreatic event at 8 a.m. Tuesday that lasted about 73 seconds.

NDRRMC chief Eduardo del Rosario said that as of this posting Tuesday, five of the climbers are confirmed dead and seven others are injured.

Albay provincial Governor Joey Salceda also reported Tuesday over ANC that five are dead and at least three are injured, adding that rescue teams are being dispatched to Mayon volcano to look for other climbers and guides still trapped near the crater.

Guide Kenneth Jesalva earlier told ABS-CBN by cellphone from a camp near the crater that the four climbers died after being hit by huge rocks.

ALBAY. Mayon volcano spewed rocks and ash on Tuesday. (Photo taken by Ruffa Concepcion at @pinkruffa15 on Twitter)

Phivolcs said the gray to brown clouds reached 500 meters above the summit and drifted west southwest, but no volcanic earthquake was detected within the past 24-hour observation period.

State volcanologists ruled out the possibility of evacuating residents near the slope of Mayon volcano, the Philippines' most active volcano, in Albay following the steam-driven explosion on Tuesday.

Calling it a "regular" event, Director Renato Solidum of Phivolcs said the phreatic explosion can happen even if the volcano is under Alert Level 0 (normal), just in the case of Mayon.

"There's no need to evacuate but we'll continuously monitor the volcano's activity," he said.

Human activities within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone have already been suspended by Governor Salceda. (Virgil Lopez/AP/Sunnex)

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