Volcano on Caribbean’s St Vincent erupts, spews ash and smoke

Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, which quickly picked up this week.

An explosive eruption rocked La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent on Friday following mandatory evacuation orders from the local government. Emergency management officials said the ash column rose about six kilometres (3.7 miles) high and that the ash was headed east into the Atlantic Ocean. Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away. That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday.