Five climbers were killed by an active volcano that erupted on Tuesday in the Philippines, spitting and pummeling enormous rocks onto a group of 30 climbers.
The mountaineers, along with their Filipino guides, camped out that evening before starting out at dawn for the Mayon volcano.
The explosion of rocks, dust and dark, heavy smoke, surprised the climbers, many of whom were severely injured and are now in critical condition were lifted from the site by rescue helicopters.
Guide Kenneth Jesalva told ABS-CBN TV network by phone that the rocks were "as big as a living room," as they hailed down upon the 30 climbers. Jesalva ran back down to the base camp, located at about 3,000 feet.
The five deceased included three Germans, their Filipino guide, and a foreigner who has been assumed dead. All other climbers have been accounted for.
Eight were injured by the volcano's blast, which has quieted since ash clouds enveloped it earlier today.
Albay provincial Governor Joey Salceda said that all the injured were foreigners, as he delved into the details of the eruption.
"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 the provincial capital of Legazpi, located at the foot of the mountain.
According to the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Renato Solidum, Mayo's eruption is par for the course.
The 2,460-metre high mountain, (about 8,070 feet) lies around 340 kilometers, (211 miles) southeast of Manila has blown its top about 40 times in the past 400 years.
In 2010, residents were evacuated to temporary shelters when the volcano erupted ash that covered people and their homes within a five-mile radius.
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