The volcano “continues to show periods of explosive activity,” said Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, director of the Seismic Research Center at the University of the West Indies (UWI-SRC).
Joseph reported the third explosion in an audio update released Friday evening. It did not provide additional details about the third explosion, but it appears to have been smaller than the previous two. The center works with local authorities to monitor volcano activity.
“Be careful with everyone. We are covered in ash and strong smells of sulfur permeate the air. For those with respiratory problems, we ask you to take the necessary precautions to stay healthy and healthy,” NEMO said.
Authorities have said it is likely that explosive eruptions could continue to occur “for days and possibly weeks” after Friday’s first eruption emitted a plume of ash that stretched into the sky at 6,096 meters.
La Soufrière is located on the largest island in the chain of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The second blast occurred around 2:45 p.m. Friday and was smaller than the first, according to NEMO.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Thursday declared a disaster alert triggered by a change in the eruptive activity of the volcano. The island was put on red alert, meaning an eruption was “imminent now,” NEMO said.
Evacuation orders were issued in about a dozen districts in St. Vincent, which affected approximately 6,000 to 7,000 people, a UWI-SRC spokesman told CNN.
Kenton Chance, a freelance journalist, told CNN Friday that he was about five miles from the volcano in the city of Rosehall, in St. Louis. Vincent. Ash continued to fall but in decreasing amounts, he said.
“Normally, you would have a very dominant view of the volcano,” he said. “But because of the amount of ash in the air, it can’t be seen.”
CNN’s Paul Murphy contributed to this report.