KINGSTOWN (St Vincent), Jan 2 (NNN-TELESUR) — Two Caribbean volcanoes that had been dormant for decades in suddenly awoke, triggering eruption alerts in Martinique and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
La Soufriere and Mount Pelee volcanoes are being monitored for showing signs of activity that can lead to a new eruption.
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency informed that La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines could erupt within 24 hours.
“People living nearby should leave their homes immediately,” authorities urged as they asked inhabitants to keep informed.
On Tuesday, La Soufriere began spewing ash, gas, and steam. Scientists also identified the formation of a new volcanic dome caused by its lava reaching the Earth’s surface.
Saint Vincent, which is home to over 100,000 people, has seen no volcanic activity since 1979. La Soufriere’s last huge eruption occurred in 1902, and it killed 1,600 people.
Martinique authorities also raised alarms over Mount Pelee volcano after tremors became more frequent in the past few weeks.
“La Soufriere and Mount Pelee activities are not linked. Just because a volcano erupts does not mean that others will. It is just a coincidence,” U.S. volcanologist Erik Klemetti assured.
After decades of inactivity, Mount Pelee’s first tremors were reported on the island in early December. According to Martinique’s Volcanological and Seismological Observatory, the volcano last erupted in 1932 killing 30,000 people. — NNN-TELESUR
