Stranded mountaineers on Mt. Pinatubo rescued

Twenty-seven mountaineers trapped on top of Mt. Pinatubo were rescued Monday afternoon, the regional civil defense office in Central Luzon said.

Nigel Lontoc, assistant director of Office of Civil Defense in Central Luzon, said in a phone interview that the mountaineers were on Mt. Pinatubo since Saturday.

The mountaineers asked for help early Monday and were rescued around noon and brought to Porac.

READ: 27 mountaineers on top of Mt. Pinatubo seek rescue

“They were rescued at 1:30 pm and were transported to Porac at about 2:30 pm where a medical team is waiting for them at the municipal hall,” he said.

A military chopper deployed to rescue the mountaineers was not able to find them because they have already started going down by the time the aircraft arrived.

Rescuers from the local government of Porac, quick response team, police, and the provincial disaster office were on the ground and met the mountaineers.

Lontoc said the group, composed of 27 mountaineers, was called Climber Philippines.

The mountaineers were in Mt. Pinatubo since Saturday and got through without securing clearance from the local tourism office.

They sought rescue from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Manila early Monday after some of them couldn’t find each other. Batteries of their phones and radios, as well as supplies have started running out, Lontoc said.

He clarified that Mt. Pinatubo is open to tourists but reminded them that they should secure clearance from the local tourism office in Porac or Capas first before going there.