Bodies of 3 German climbers airlifted to Legazpi City

SURPRISE ERUPTION Mount Mayon, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, rumbled to life after daybreak on Tuesday, spewing ash and rocks at 27 surprised climbers, killing five and injuring others. AFP

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines–Sealed in cadaver bags, the bodies of three German nationals who died on Mayon following an explosion of ash and steam on Tuesday were finally brought down from the volcano and flown by a Philippine Air Force helicopter to the airport here at past noon Thursday.

The three bodies, which arrived at the airport here at 1:17 p.m., could not yet be identified as the retrieval team still had no way of matching the bodies to the names of the four German climbers killed in Tuesday’s phreatic explosion on Mayon, according to local authorities.

The German fatalities were earlier identified as Joanne Edosa, Roland Pietieze, Farah Frances and Furian Stelter.

Their guide, Jerome Berin, who worked for Bicol Adventures which organized the climb, was also killed. His remains were the first to be retrieved from the volcano early Thursday and have been brought to the Funeraria Nuestra Senora de Salvacion in the city.

The remains of the three Germans were also transported to the same funeral parlor.

Information as to the body of the fourth German climber was not immediately available.