St Vincent denies volcanic activity

The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) of St Vincent today dismissed reports of volcanic activity at the La Soufriere volcano saying that the stormy weather across the Caribbean may be responsible for the panic among nationals.

According to CMC, NEMO director Howie Prince said that the heavy clouds have been associated with lightning strikes and that “in the early hours of the morning if you look in the direction of La Soufriere volcano …(it) could well have given the impression that there was an erosion of La Soufriere volcano.

“I therefore would like to put at rest the rumour that has circulated far and wide that La Soufriere volcano is erupting. La Soufriere volcano is not, has not, shown any increase in seismic activity recently,” he said on the state-owned National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

CMC said that the radio station said that it had been receiving calls from all over the island enquiring whether the volcano, which last erupted here in 1979 displacing more than 20,000 people, had once again become active.