St. Vincent covered in ash as volcano activity continues
ABC NEWS 4/10/2021
Much of St. Vincent remains covered in ash, following eruptions at the island's La Soufriere volcano.
Thousands evacuated as volcano erupts in St. Vincent
After nearly 42 years without an explosion, the volcano in the northern part of the eastern Caribbean island, erupted Friday.
MORE: New fissure opens on volcano
"There's been three explosive events that occurred during the day," University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center director, Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, said in an audio statement on the center's Facebook page
"There's been three explosive events that occurred during the day," University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center director, Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, said in an audio statement on the center's Facebook page
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© Robertson S. Henry/Reuters Ash and smoke billow as the La Soufriere volcano erupts in Kingstown on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, April 9, 2021.
The ash plume reached as high as six miles into the air, with wind taking it as far as 25,000 feet east of St. Vincent, according to official estimates.
Activity at the volcano continued into Saturday, with Vincentians living close enough reporting that rumblings could be heard coming from La Soufriere, overnight.
"Overnight, we have had more or less an almost continued period of the venting of many ash up into the atmosphere," Richard Robertson, the UWI Seismic Research Center's lead scientist monitoring the volcano, said Saturday during a national radio address.
The ash plume reached as high as six miles into the air, with wind taking it as far as 25,000 feet east of St. Vincent, according to official estimates.
Activity at the volcano continued into Saturday, with Vincentians living close enough reporting that rumblings could be heard coming from La Soufriere, overnight.
"Overnight, we have had more or less an almost continued period of the venting of many ash up into the atmosphere," Richard Robertson, the UWI Seismic Research Center's lead scientist monitoring the volcano, said Saturday during a national radio address.
© The UWI Seismic Research Centre via Getty Images La Soufriere Volcano erupts on the Carrobean island of Saint Vincent, April 9, 2021.
There have been reports of some people's homes being damaged by the weight of the ash, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said, but he also said those reports have yet to be confirmed.
There have been reports of some people's homes being damaged by the weight of the ash, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said, but he also said those reports have yet to be confirmed.
© Robertson S. Henr/Reuters
Officials are now left trying to figure out how to remove the ash.
On Saturday Gonsalves announced during the radio address plans to mount a cleanup operation, beginning in Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
"It's a complicated business, you can't leave it," Gonsalves said. "But, in the disposal of it, you have challenges."
Officials were looking into using street sweepers and water from fire trucks.
Friday's eruptions came less than 24 hours after Gonsalves gave the order for people living closest to the volcano -- an area declared the "red zone" -- to evacuate their homes.
Officials are now left trying to figure out how to remove the ash.
On Saturday Gonsalves announced during the radio address plans to mount a cleanup operation, beginning in Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
"It's a complicated business, you can't leave it," Gonsalves said. "But, in the disposal of it, you have challenges."
Officials were looking into using street sweepers and water from fire trucks.
Friday's eruptions came less than 24 hours after Gonsalves gave the order for people living closest to the volcano -- an area declared the "red zone" -- to evacuate their homes.
© Robertson S. Henry/Reuters Ash covers roads a day after the La Soufriere volcano erupted after decades of inactivity, in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines April 10, 2021.
Shelters have been set up to house evacuees, while the government has also booked hotel rooms for people to take shelter. Over 3,200 people have opted to use shelters.
Gonsalves said there may be delays in getting food supplies to evacuees in shelters, with numbers constantly changing.
Gonsalves asked those impacted by the volacano's eruption to have patience and remain calm, and said "additional supplies" will be sent.
Some countries have also publicly pledged to send supplies or even personnel, to aid St. Vincent with recovery efforts. Gonzalves said the United States is among those countries Gonsalves said he’s been speaking with.
Shelters have been set up to house evacuees, while the government has also booked hotel rooms for people to take shelter. Over 3,200 people have opted to use shelters.
Gonsalves said there may be delays in getting food supplies to evacuees in shelters, with numbers constantly changing.
Gonsalves asked those impacted by the volacano's eruption to have patience and remain calm, and said "additional supplies" will be sent.
Some countries have also publicly pledged to send supplies or even personnel, to aid St. Vincent with recovery efforts. Gonzalves said the United States is among those countries Gonsalves said he’s been speaking with.
© Robertson S. Henr/Reuters Ash and smoke billow as the La Soufriere volcano erupts in Kingstown on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent April 9, 2021.
A number of neighboring Caribbean countries have offered to take in evacuees. Several cruise ship companies have also offered to send ships to transport those evacuees to other islands.
"Those countries are not going to take you unless you are vaccinated, which is understandable in the time of the pandemic," Gonsalves said.
The last time St. Vincent's La Soufriere volcano erupted was on April 13, 1979. On Friday, around 8:41 a.m. local time, officials confirmed the first explosive eruption since then. Later that day, two more eruptions occurred.
A number of neighboring Caribbean countries have offered to take in evacuees. Several cruise ship companies have also offered to send ships to transport those evacuees to other islands.
"Those countries are not going to take you unless you are vaccinated, which is understandable in the time of the pandemic," Gonsalves said.
The last time St. Vincent's La Soufriere volcano erupted was on April 13, 1979. On Friday, around 8:41 a.m. local time, officials confirmed the first explosive eruption since then. Later that day, two more eruptions occurred.
Caribbean island Saint Vincent covered in thick ash after volcanic eruption
Issued on: 11/04/2021 -
Text by: NEWS WIRES
Ash covered much of the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent on Saturday, and the stench of sulphur filled the air after a series of eruptions from a volcano that had been quiet for decades.
Issued on: 11/04/2021 -
A cloud of volcanic ash hovers over Kingstown, on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, Saturday, April 10, 2021, a day after the La Soufriere volcano erupted. © Lucanus Ollivierre, AP
Text by: NEWS WIRES
Ash covered much of the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent on Saturday, and the stench of sulphur filled the air after a series of eruptions from a volcano that had been quiet for decades.
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The thick dust was also on the move, traveling 175 kilometers (110 miles) to the east and starting to impact the neighboring island of Barbados.
"Barbadians have been urged to stay indoors as thick plumes of volcanic ash move through the atmosphere," the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency said.
The whitish powder caked roads, homes and buildings in Saint Vincent after the powerful blasts from the volcano called La Soufriere that began Friday and continued into the night.
"Saturday morning on the island of over 110,000 residents looked like a winter wonderland, albeit blanketed by ash," the news portal news784.com said
Visibility in some areas was extremely limited, while in the capital city Kingstown on the south of the island -- the volcano is in the north -- the ash caused a thin haze of dust, the portal said.
"Vincentians are waking up to extremely heavy ash fall and strong sulphur smells which have now advanced to the capital," the local emergency management agency tweeted.
The eruptions prompted thousands of people to flee for safety. Around 16,000 people live in areas under evacuation orders.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Saturday that water has been cut off in most areas and the country's air space is closed because of the ash. Around 3,000 people spent the night in shelters.
"It's a huge operation that is facing us," Gonsalves told NBC News.
He said his government has been in contact with other countries that want to provide aid. Guyana and Venezuela are sending ships with supplies, Gonsalves said.
The initial blast from La Soufriere, the highest peak in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sent plumes of hot ash and smoke 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) into the air Friday morning.
A second, smaller eruption took place Friday afternoon, belching out a 4,000-meter-high ash cloud, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said.
The Centres director, Erouscilla Joseph, said late Saturday that there had been "additional explosions" throughout the day which had been accompanied by more ash.
"Unfortunately, we believe that more seismic unrest will be expected overnight," she added in a voice recording posted to Twitter.
The 1,235-meter La Soufriere -- the name is French for "sulphur mine" -- had not erupted since 1979, and its largest blow-up happened over a century ago, killing more than 1,000 people in 1902.
It had been rumbling for months before it finally blew.
Evacuation orders
"We are trying to be ok. It's deathly quiet outside and the mood is pensive," said Vynette Frederick, 44, a lawyer in Kingstown.
Northwest of Kingstown on the 30-kilometer-long (18-mile-long) island, Zen Punnett said things had calmed down after the initial panic as evacuation orders came out Thursday night.
"It's gotten hazier. We are staying inside," she said.
The emergency management agency posted photos of a Coast Guard ship evacuating residents of an area who had previously refused to leave. Standing on a dock, the air above the evacuees was a chalky gray.
Most of the people in the red zone had been moved to safety by Friday, authorities said.
Cruise ships were on the way to assist the evacuation effort.
The Saint Vincent and Grenadines police on Saturday issued an appeal for troublemakers to stop making prank calls to emergency responders.
"We are in the middle of a serious evacuation and security exercise, to safeguard and rescue persons who are affected by the eruption," the agency said.
"These irresponsible calls divert much-needed resources and personnel from the evacuation exercise."
(AFP)
"Barbadians have been urged to stay indoors as thick plumes of volcanic ash move through the atmosphere," the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency said.
The whitish powder caked roads, homes and buildings in Saint Vincent after the powerful blasts from the volcano called La Soufriere that began Friday and continued into the night.
"Saturday morning on the island of over 110,000 residents looked like a winter wonderland, albeit blanketed by ash," the news portal news784.com said
Visibility in some areas was extremely limited, while in the capital city Kingstown on the south of the island -- the volcano is in the north -- the ash caused a thin haze of dust, the portal said.
"Vincentians are waking up to extremely heavy ash fall and strong sulphur smells which have now advanced to the capital," the local emergency management agency tweeted.
The eruptions prompted thousands of people to flee for safety. Around 16,000 people live in areas under evacuation orders.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Saturday that water has been cut off in most areas and the country's air space is closed because of the ash. Around 3,000 people spent the night in shelters.
"It's a huge operation that is facing us," Gonsalves told NBC News.
He said his government has been in contact with other countries that want to provide aid. Guyana and Venezuela are sending ships with supplies, Gonsalves said.
The initial blast from La Soufriere, the highest peak in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sent plumes of hot ash and smoke 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) into the air Friday morning.
A second, smaller eruption took place Friday afternoon, belching out a 4,000-meter-high ash cloud, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said.
The Centres director, Erouscilla Joseph, said late Saturday that there had been "additional explosions" throughout the day which had been accompanied by more ash.
"Unfortunately, we believe that more seismic unrest will be expected overnight," she added in a voice recording posted to Twitter.
The 1,235-meter La Soufriere -- the name is French for "sulphur mine" -- had not erupted since 1979, and its largest blow-up happened over a century ago, killing more than 1,000 people in 1902.
It had been rumbling for months before it finally blew.
Evacuation orders
"We are trying to be ok. It's deathly quiet outside and the mood is pensive," said Vynette Frederick, 44, a lawyer in Kingstown.
Northwest of Kingstown on the 30-kilometer-long (18-mile-long) island, Zen Punnett said things had calmed down after the initial panic as evacuation orders came out Thursday night.
"It's gotten hazier. We are staying inside," she said.
The emergency management agency posted photos of a Coast Guard ship evacuating residents of an area who had previously refused to leave. Standing on a dock, the air above the evacuees was a chalky gray.
Most of the people in the red zone had been moved to safety by Friday, authorities said.
Cruise ships were on the way to assist the evacuation effort.
The Saint Vincent and Grenadines police on Saturday issued an appeal for troublemakers to stop making prank calls to emergency responders.
"We are in the middle of a serious evacuation and security exercise, to safeguard and rescue persons who are affected by the eruption," the agency said.
"These irresponsible calls divert much-needed resources and personnel from the evacuation exercise."
(AFP)
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