An explosive eruption rocked La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent. A volcano that had been dormant for decades erupted in a billowing blast of grey smoke. It spewed clouds of ash and smoke for miles and forced thousands to evacuate. The ashfall had been registered as far as the country’s international airport on the southern part of the island.
The eruptions came a day after officials had raised the alert level. It was following several small tremors detected at the volcano, with clouds of steam seen erupting from its peak.
La Soufrière, located on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, erupted on Friday. It blasted a pillar of smoke and ash 20,000 feet high. Officials say more than 16,000 people had been evacuated from the area surrounding the volcano.
The morning eruption was followed about six hours later by a “second explosive eruption” There are no immediate reports of casualties from the eruption.
The volcano last erupted on April 13, 1979, and a previous eruption in 1902 killed some 1,600 people.
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