Team Scales Volcano to Drain Lake
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SANTA JULIANA, Philippines — A dozen tribesmen with picks and shovels climbed the Mt. Pinatubo volcano Thursday on a dangerous mission to drain a crater lake that threatens their villages with massive floods.
Tugging a leashed pig to sacrifice to their mountain god, the Aeta tribesmen planned to carve a notch in the volcano’s crater to slowly release water from the rising lake. Accompanied by a dozen porters and two engineers, the diggers are expected to chop 16 feet off the lowest point of Pinatubo’s summit.
The lake’s water level has been rising rapidly during the rainy season and is within 16 feet of the crater’s rim. Without the notching procedure, the water could shatter the upper walls of the 4,740-foot volcano, endangering villagers.
Heavy rain reportedly delayed the start of the project Thursday, said Rogelio Yap, mayor of the nearby town of Botolan.
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