Fears of an impending volcanic eruption led to mandatory evacuations on the Caribbean island of St. Louis on Thursday. Vincent led.
Cruise lines were expected to arrive on the island on Thursday night to bring people living near the La Soufriere volcano to safety, emergency officials on the island said.
It is not clear how many people will be evacuated or where they will be taken.
La Soufriere is located on the north side of St. Vincent and can be seen glowing by Thursday night after days of seismic activity in the region.
The coronavirus pandemic could complicate the evacuation, as displaced residents must be vaccinated to board the ships, according to Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St. Louis. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Gonsalves said he was asking other island nations to welcome refugees, even if they did not have a passport.
“It’s an emergency, and everyone understands it,” he said.
More than 100,000 people live in the country, which includes 32 islands – most uninhabited.
La Soufriere last broke out in 1979. In 1902, about 1,600 people died.
With AP wires
