Reuters Reuters
10 April, 2021, 11:15 am
Evacuees travel on a farmer’s truck as they leave the village of Rose Hall following the eruption of La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Robertson S. Henry
ROSE HALL, St Vincent and the Grenadines (Reuters) -La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate.
Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away. That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday.
Published on: Saturday, April 10, 2021
By: AP
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Ash rises into the air as La Soufriere volcano erupts on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, seen from Chateaubelair, Friday, April 9, 2021. (AP Photo)
SAN JUAN: An explosive eruption rocked La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday after the government ordered thousands to evacuate their homes nearby.
Experts said the first explosion shot an ash column 32,000 feet (10 kilometers) into the sky and that the majority of the ash was headed northeast into the Atlantic Ocean. Lightning crackled through the towering column of smoke and ash late Friday.
Three explosive eruptions rock St Vincent, as evacuations continue
Article by April 10, 2021
A Barbados Coast Guard ship and 40 sailors were steaming towards Kingstown overnight to deliver humanitarian aid after three explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano filled the skies in and around St. Vincent with stony ash throughout Friday.
Here at home, authorities are closely monitoring local air quality and have pledged to provide early warning if atmospheric conditions worsen from the fallout.
Late into the night on Friday, the crew of HMBS Rudyard Lewis was busy loading about seven tonnes of supplies on to the vessel.
During the crew’s final preparations, Attorney General Dale Marshall and Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams visited the base at HMBS Pelican to wish the sailors safe passage.
Volcano Spewing Ash, Hot Gravel On Caribbean Island Of St Vincent By Gemma Handy
on April 10 2021 2:30 PM
Ash and hot gravel rained down Friday on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, after powerful eruptions from a volcano that had been dormant for decades sent thousands of panicked locals fleeing to safety.
The initial blast from La Soufriere, the highest peak in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sent plumes of hot ash and smoke 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) into the air Friday morning, the local emergency management agency said.
A second, smaller eruption took place Friday afternoon, belching out a 4,000-meter-high ash cloud, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said.