St. Vincent Island is running out of water due to volcanic ash pollution and will need hundreds of millions of dollars to recover from the eruption of La Soufrière volcano, leaders of the Caribbean nation estimated.
Between 16,000 and 20,000 residents have been evacuated from the northern part of the island where the volcano is located, and more than 3,000 are staying in about 80 state hostels.
“We need to get supplies to the people,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told a news conference.
No casualties have been reported after Friday morning’s outbreak and “we must try to keep it that way,” Gonsálvez said. He added that some people have refused to leave the area near the volcano, so he begged them to evacuate immediately.
He has estimated that the country will need hundreds of millions of dollars to recover from the eruption, although he did not give details.
Ash and pyroclastic flow have shattered crops and polluted water ponds. The island’s water resources minister, Garth Saunders, has indicated that there are communities that have run out of water.
Authorities are trying to dispatch tanker trucks but “the east coast is the biggest challenge we have today,” the minister said at a news conference.
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“What we are supplying is a limited quantity, at some point we will run out,” he added.
The prime minister announced that some residents in the hostels are in need of water and food, and thanked neighboring nations for sending supplies such as bunk beds, breathing masks and bottled water. The World Bank has granted a $ 20 million interest-free loan as part of a disaster recovery program.
Adam Billing, a retired police officer who handled his harvests near the colossus, reported that he owns more than 1,200 acres (3 acres) of banana, sweet potato and other crops and probably lost about $ 9,000.
“All my support is gone,” Billing expressed. “We will see what happens in the coming months, this will not be easy to repair,” he added.
The volcano, which has had low-level activity since December, experienced the first of several major explosions on Friday morning, and volcanologists say the activity could continue for weeks.
Another explosion was reported Tuesday morning that sent another huge column of ash into the air. An eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600 people.
No effect in Puerto Rico area
The National Meteorological Service in San Juan reported that the eruption of La Soufrière volcano is not expected to have any impact in the area of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It was indicated that the foggy sky observed today is due to remnants of a layer of Sahara dust. (Puerto Rico Metro)