Volcanic eruption rocks Caribbean island of St. Vincent

The government earlier had ordered people to leave their homes. They are being evacuated to other parts of St. Vincent or other islands in the eastern Caribbean.



The early morning eruption was predicted, meaning the area nearby was evacuated ready for the dramatic explosion


An explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano rocked the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday.

It followed a mandatory evacuation orders from the local government, who told some 16,000 people to leave their homes.

Officials said the ash column rose as high as 10 kilometers (6 miles) and it headed east into the Atlantic Ocean.

The coastal La Soufriere volcano sent a cloud of ash drifting into the Atlantic Ocean

Heavy ash fall also was reported in communities around the volcano, according to Erouscilla Joseph, who leads the University of the West Indies Seismic Center.

"More explosions could occur," she said, adding that it was impossible to predict whether potential explosions would be bigger or smaller than the first.

Authorities on the island have reported no casualties so far; St Vincent has seen a number of fatal volcanic eruptions in the past.

One in 1902 is estimated to have claimed the lives of about 1,600 people. Advances in seismology and early-warning systems mean that modern-day eruptions are much less likely to catch communities unawares and claim larger numbers of lives.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said evacuees would be able to seek temporary refuge on neighboring islands or be relocated to shelters in another part of St. Vincent.

But he urged people to remain calm as the government tried to find them emergency accommodation.