Volcano erupts in St Vincent and the Grenadines, thousands forced to evacuate Reuters Volcano erupts in St Vincent and the Grenadines, thousands forced to evacuate
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.
Updated: Apr 9 2021, 21:52 ET
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THOUSANDS of people on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent were forced to evacuate their homes on Friday following the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano on the eastern end of the island.
The government ordered thousands to evacuate their homes as experts said the ash column rose over 20,000 feet high, with most of the ash heading into the Atlantic Ocean.
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The University of West Indies Seismic Research Center captured images of smoke spewing from the volcano s domeCredit: Reuters
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Thousands of people in the St. Grenadines were forced to evacuate after the La Soufriere volcano erupted on FridayCredit: Reuters
The UWI Seismic Research Centre provides ongoing support to Saint Vincent as La Soufriere volcano moves to Explosive Phase
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Media Release Courtesy The UWI Seismic Research Centre
Friday, April 9, 2021 The UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago On April 9, at 8:41 am, an eruption column (cloud of ash) began rising above the La Soufrière volcano located in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This signalled that the volcano moved to an explosive phase following three months of effusive eruption, magma extrusion and more recently, tremor and volcano-tectonic (VT) seismic activity.
Leading up to this morning’s eruption, a scientific team at The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) has been stationed on the island since December 2020 when activity was first detected. On April 8, the team recorded seven bands of tremor at two and a half hour intervals. A small volcano-tectonic swarm was also detected. Elevated periods of steam and gas venting coincide
Dormant since 1979, the volcano sends dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky
Reuters
April 10, 2021
Ash and smoke billow as the La Soufriere volcano erupts in Kingstown on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent April 9, 2021. PHOTO: 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.
A volcanic eruption spews ash into the sky. (Courthouse News image via Pixabay)
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda (AFP) 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.