BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 9th April, 2021)– The La Soufrière Volcano in northern section of Saint Vincent exploded at about 8:40 on the morning of Friday 9th April 2021.
The pyroclastic cloud which rose high above the dome, filled with ash, was seen as far ways as southern St. Lucia.
The Kingstown based National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) reported the ash clouds of up to 8km were observed.
The eruption followed Thursday’s evacuation orders for the North Windward and Leeward communities by Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. A national effort began Thursday night to board the residents on boats and ferry them to safety.
Thousands of residents took heed and proceeded to emergency meeting points while others gathered their belonging into trucks and other vehicles and drove to the shelter of safe zone in the south of the island.
Regional governments, including Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada have offered assistance in the safe relocation of the Vincentians who are directly affected. Cruise vessels have begun to arrive to the island to provide shelter.
La Soufrière’s most devastating eruption was in 1902 when about 1,600 people were killed. It last erupted in April 1979, but there were no casualties as the local population was then evacuated.