An active volcano on the island of San Vicente in the Caribbean threatens to erupt, the authorities warned on Thursday, mentioning that they have ordered mandatory evacuations.
The island’s emergency management office changed the alert level to red and said that after dark a cruise ship would arrive to evacuate those living near La Soufriere volcano. It was unclear at this time how many people would be evacuated, where the cruise would take them or whether they would remain on board temporarily.
View of the dome at 14:00 local time, captured @VincieRichie from the top room. We continue monitoring and counseling @NEMOSVG #svg # lasoufrière #volcano # roomy #uwi #uwiseimic pic.twitter.com/jgvw5YolJn
– UWISeismic Research (@uwiseismic) April 8, 2021
Authorities said the dome of the volcano, which is located in the northern part of the island, could be seen at dusk. The alert issued on Thursday came after days of seismic activity in the area around La Soufrière.
The last time the volcano erupted was in 1979, and a previous eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600 people.