In the northern part of St. Vincent in the Caribbean Sea, thousands of people were evacuated due to the impending eruption of the volcano Sovrier. The authorities consider that this may happen in the short term. Approximately 16,000 people must find shelter.
The authorities have deployed four cruise ships in the evacuation operation and will arrive on the island later today and bring personnel to surrounding islands such as Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and Antigua.
In addition, people can choose to go to one of the shelters on the island. The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Goncalves, did recommend that people get vaccinated first. It is not clear whether there is enough capacity.
Explosion phase
An expert at the Seismological Center of the University of the West Indies told The Associated Press: “Suddenly, progress is rapid.” She said it is unpredictable whether the eruption will occur in a few hours or days. “But the outbreak phase of the outbreak will happen suddenly.”
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population of approximately 100,000 and has not had volcanic activity since 1979. In 1902, La Soufrière erupted, killing more than 1,000 people.