(By Ernesto Cooke) – As the La Soufriere volcano continues with explosive eruptions on the Caribbean of St Vincent, It will be several months before displaced citizens will be able to return to their homes.
Government reports say eighty-eight shelters with 4042 occupants are now activated, while some five thousand three hundred and ninety-eight persons (5398) are being housed in a private shelter.
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said the volcano has gone to a period of lull; however, it remains a difficult period for life and limb.
“ In Montserrat in a few years ago, persons died when there was a quiet period like what we are having here now, they decided they were going back to their home, and when Soufriere blew violently, they died not only from the ash but pyroclastic flows”.
NEMO, the islands disaster agency, said on Sunday, April 18th, that La Soufriere had an explosive event at 4.49 pm.
The agency said the ashfall was expected in the South and West of the island.
On Sunday, April 18th, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said as of Friday, April 16th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had indicated that 618 persons applied for temporary relocation to other countries.
The Prime Minister said he would focus on four OECS countries that are ready to accept displaced Vincentians.
NEMO on Sunday said a total of 1,459 families had been displaced so far.
On April 16th Geologist Richard Robertson told News784 that the eruption at La Soufriere has not ended; in fact, he told this media house in his words, “Far From It”.
“As we have said for some time now, the explosions appear to have been getting smaller with the gap between each becoming longer. It was also said that there might come a time in the near future when the explosive activity would end”.
The alert level remains RED.
