13 climbers trapped in Mt. Apo rescued

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least 13 mountaineers have been rescued after being trapped at the foot of the Philippines' highest peak, authorities said today.

The climbers including seven females and six males were found and safely brought to Kidapawan City in Mindanao's North Cotabato province on Monday, a day after they failed to return from scaling Mt. Apo, according to Captain Raul Villegas, spokesperson of the army's 10th Infantry Division.

The 2,954-meter Mt. Apo, a potentially active stratovolcano located between the Mindanao regions of Davao and Cotabato, is popular among local and foreign climbers.

Villegas said the group of locals from Mindanao provinces of Surigao and Davao, and Manila, climbed the peak Friday, Oct. 4 and was supposed to be back by Sunday.

"But they were not able to return on schedule at the exit point and communications with them were lost so a rescue team from the Kidawapan City government and the army's 57th Infantry Battalion were mobilized to find and bring them home," said Villegas.

Kidapawan is some 20 kilometers to the west of Mt. Apo.

Lieutenant Nasrullah Sema, 57th Infantry Battalion spokesperson, told Xinhua by mobile phone the climbers had been trapped on the other side of a swollen river at the foot of the scenic volcano. He said incessant rain had pelted the province for several days, causing a river there to overflow.

"Since it was too dangerous for them to cross, the group decided to spend the night on the other side until help came," Sema said.