Remains of 4 foreigners killed on Mayon await shipment to Germany, Spain

In this photo taken from Legazpi, the capital city of Albay province in the central Philippines, a cloud of ash shoots up to the sky as Mayon volcano erupts about 450 kilometers (285 miles) southeast of Manila Tuesday morning, May 7, 2013. A mountain guide said three foreign climbers and their Filipino guide were killed when the volcano, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, spewed rocks and ash after a 3-year calm. AP FILE PHOTO/Allan Imperial

MANILA, Philippines–The remains of the four foreign tourists killed last Tuesday in a steam explosion on Mayon volcano arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday.

The bodies, which were in sealed coffins placed in wooden crates, arrived on board a Philippine Airlines cargo flight at around 11 a.m. and brought to the PAL Express cargo warehouse at NAIA Terminal 4.

Also brought to Manila were the tourists’ belongings and personal effects contained in several large cardboard boxes.

The remains of Germans Joanne Edosa, Roland Pietieze and Furian Stelter, and Spaniard Farah Frances were released to officials from the German and Spanish embassies about an hour later.

The crates were loaded onto a small truck bound for an undisclosed funeral house in Pasay City, where the remains will lie while awaiting shipment to Germany and Spain.