The volcano La Soufrière on the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean began a series of explosive eruptions on April 9, sending clouds of hot ash into the air, covering much of the island in ash and causing water and electricity outages.
The most recent and largest eruption to date occurred early Monday, April 12, when the volcano sent dead clouds of hot gas, ash and rocks over mountain slopes, according to Richard Robertson, a geology professor at the University of the West Indies. Seismic Research Center.
“I suspect the buildings and structures on the mountain are being destroyed, damaged, destroyed,” Robertson said in an online interview with St. Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. “I shudder to think if any living thing was on that mountain. Because everything was there, man, animal, everything … they’re gone. ”
To date, there have been no reports of deaths or injuries. About 16,000 people near the volcano were evacuated the day before the eruptions began, with scientists becoming concerned about increased activity on the volcano, which killed about 1,600 people during a violent eruption in 1902. But an unknown number of residents refused to be moved, according to island officials.
Explosions at the 3,864-foot volcano it could go on for days or weeks, according to the UWI Seismic Research Center.