8 May 2013

Five killed in volcanic eruption

7:13 am on 8 May 2013

Five people died and several others were injured when a volcano in the central Philippines erupted unexpectedly on Tuesday.

They were among a group of 20 foreign tourists climbing Mount Mayon in the central province of Bicol.

It's thought the group was about 1.5km away from the crater at the time. They have been identified as four German tourists and their Filipino tour guide.

Mt Mayon is the largest of 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has erupted 48 times in recorded history - most recently in December 2009.