(By Ernesto Cooke) – The Caribbean island of St Vincent and the Grenadines is now experiencing explosive eruptions associated with the island lone active volcano La Soufriere.
The volcano went explosive at 8.41, according to information from the UWI Seismic Unit.
Plumes of ash could have been seen some 8 kilometres in the sky, with ashfall recorded at Argyle Airport in the South of the island.
Persons living in Rose Hall are reporting heaving rumbling followed by plumes of ash intermittently.
Videos sent to News784 shows heavy ashfall in Richmond, a small community sitting at La Soufriere’s foothills and Chateaubelair.
On Thursday, the island government issued an evacuation order for persons living in the Red Zone or on the volcano’s flanks.
Up to 9 am this morning, footage obtained by News784 showed a few villagers in the extreme North of the island trying to escape the ongoing eruption.
Security forces have been deployed to protect life and property, with arrangements made for expected traffic congestion at Fridays rush hour.
On Friday, NEMO, the islands disaster agency, said scientists at the Belmont Observatory confirmed an explosive eruption at the La Soufriere Volcano at 8.40 this morning and urged all persons in the red volcano hazard zone to evacuate immediately.
Eruptions at La Soufriere could continue for days or weeks; geologist Richard Robertson said on Friday 9th April 2021.
Bonus ( There have been reports of hot gravel falling on house roofs across different parts of the island.
Some 20,000 citizens have been evacuated from the RED Zone.
