UPDATE: La Soufriere volcano in SVG erupts
As of 8:41 am this morning April 9, 2021, an explosive eruption began at the La Soufrière volcano in St Vincent. This is a culmination of the seismic activity that began on April 8. The eruption is ongoing and more information will be shared as things progress, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre stated on Facebook.
Around 16,000 residents in ‘red-zone’ areas were warned to evacuate after La Soufriere started spewing steam and smoke.
St Vincent’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) warned of a ‘substantial prospect of disaster’ due to an ‘imminent’ eruption.
Now the volcano has ‘moved into an explosive state’ with plumes up to five miles high, NEMO posted on Twitter.
Residents were urged to leave the red zone immediately with ashfall recorded as far as the island’s Argyle International Airport, said to be around 48 miles away.
Hindrance to evacuation
The eruption follows an increase in seismic activity in the area. But efforts to evacuate residents could be hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said people must be vaccinated if they go aboard a cruise ship – or are granted temporary refuge on nearby islands.
Four out of a total of five cruise ships are due to arrive on the island today.
‘There is now in the country an evacuation order,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘This is an emergency situation, and everybody understands that,’ he added.
Neighbouring islands St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Grenada said they are willing to accept evacuees and other CARICOM countries, including Guyana and Jamaica, are on standby to ship emergency supplies.
Mr Gonsalves said he is in talks with other Caribbean governments about accepting ID cards if individuals do not have a passport.
The volcano last erupted in 1979, with an earlier blast killing 1,600 people in 1902.
See previous article published April 8, 2021
SVG orders mandatory evacuation as volcanic eruption possible
The Government of St Vincent has issued a mandatory evacuation order for certain zones in the country, as the territory’s La Soufriere volcano has shown signs of eruption in the coming days.
Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves in a Twitter update this afternoon, April 8, 2021, said the order was made to ensure the safety of those near the volcano.
Residents evacuated
“I have issued an evacuation order to all residents living in the RED ZONES on the North East and the North West of the island. All residents are asked to act accordingly with immediate effect to ensure their safety and that of their families,” Mr Gonsalves said in a Twitter update shortly after 6:00 pm.
Ahead of the decision, the Country’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) had been activated as the country prepared for a possible disaster involving the La Soufriere volcano, the Prime Minister said.
"The new dome has now reached the height of the crater on the Leeward side. Residents will now be able to see the glowing/fiery appearance of the dome as it gets dark and night approaches," NEMO tweeted.
NEMO said vessels were dispatched to the island to help residents evacuate, including a Royal Caribbean cruise liner.
Since late December, St Vincent and the Grenadines have been placed on high alert and warned to stay away from La Soufriere, after authorities detected an increase in seismic activity at the volcano over the weekend.
La Soufriere, located near the northern tip of the main island of St Vincent, last erupted in 1979, and a previous eruption in 1902 killed some 1,600 people.
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