BBC Online :
An “explosive” volcanic eruption has blanketed the Caribbean island of St Vincent in ash and smoke and forced thousands of people out of their homes. La Soufrière, which has been dormant for decades, first started showing volcanic activity in December, but that increased this week.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves urged more than 16,000 residents in “red zones” to evacuate. The volcano has since spewed dark ash plumes 6 km (3.7 miles) into the air. Ash fall has been recorded as far from the volcano as Argyle International Airport some 20 km away, St Vincent’s National Emergency Management Organisation (Nemo) said.
The volcano had been dormant since 1979, but in December it started spewing steam and smoke, and making rumbling noises. The first sign that an eruption was imminent came on Thursday evening, when a lava dome became visible on La Soufrière.
