Hikers warned climbing Pinatubo

Hikers warned climbing Pinatubo

ANGELES CITY, Philippines (UPI): The Philippines yesterday warned hikers not to climb the Mount Pinatubo volcano because of risks from mud and ash flows.

Raymundo Punongbayan, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said heavy rains at this time of year can trigger mudslides on the slopes of Mount Pinatubo.

The tourism department has been promoting Pinatubo, 80 kilometer north of Manila, as a major tourist attraction.

Last November, an international team of 18 hikers took a four- day trek to the crater of Pinatubo. The expedition was sponsored by the tourism department, which was trying to show that the volcano and the surrounding region are safe.

Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, covering surrounding terrain with ash and debris, which turns to a moving mass of mud during heavy rains.

The volcano and ensuing mudflows killed 1,700 lives.