St Vincent volcano: Power cuts after another 'explosive event'

BBC News

St Vincent
Photo: Reuters

There has been another "explosive event" at a volcano on the Caribbean island of St Vincent, with power outages and water supplies cut off.

The La Soufrière volcano first erupted on Friday, blanketing the island in a layer of ash and forcing some 16,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Scientists warn that eruptions could continue for days - or even weeks.

Emergency officials described the landscape as a "battle zone" and said more damage and destruction was likely.

The emergency management organization Nemo tweeted: "Massive power outage following another explosive event at La Soufriere Volcano. Lightning, thunder, and rumblings."

It later spoke of "possible destruction and devastation of communities close to the volcano", and compared the eruption to that of 1902, the worst in St Vincent's history when more than 1,000 people were killed.

White-colored dust has covered buildings and roads around the island, including in its capital Kingstown.

Ash had begun to harden on the ground after overnight showers and many homes were still without water and electricity, Nemo said.

However, some residents said power had been restored by midday local time (16:00 GMT).

Publish : 2021-04-12 09:24:00

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