Saint Vincent Orders Evacuation Amid Volcano Eruption Threat

(Bloomberg) -- Parts of Saint Vincent, in the southern Caribbean, are under an evacuation order amid fears that the La Soufriere volcano may erupt.

In a nationally televised address Thursday, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said the order to evacuate the northeastern and northwestern parts of the island were “immediate” as it was was unclear when the volcano might become dangerous.

Gonsalves said Royal Caribbean Cruises had offered three ships to help with the evacuation and that the first two would be arriving Friday morning. Carnival Corp. has also offered assistance.

The islands’ National Emergency Management Organization, or NEMO, reported a swarm of earthquakes in the region and a swelling of the volcano’s lava dome. Late Thursday, the agency urged residents in the area “to get to the Chateaubelair Jetty immediately” to prepare for evacuation.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population of 110,600 and has long been seismically active. La Soufriere is the country’s highest point, at 4,049 feet. The last time it erupted was in 1979 and there were no casualties due to advance warning.

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