The volcano erupted early Monday.

By

Joseph Guzman |

The  Hill

April 12, 2021

Story at a glance

• The National Emergency Management Organization of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said the volcano erupted again Monday morning around 4:15 a.m. local time.
• The volcano’s dome collapsed, and the eruption sent pyroclastic flows down the volcano’s south and southwest flanks, according to The Associated Press.
• There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

The La Soufrière volcano continues to rock the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as a large explosive eruption Monday sent a large amount of ash and hot gas into the air.

The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said the volcano erupted again Monday morning around 4:15 a.m. local time

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The volcano’s dome collapsed, and the eruption sent pyroclastic flows — moving mixtures of ash, rock fragments and gas — down the volcano’s south and southwest flanks, according to The Associated Press.

The outlet reports the eruption was larger yet since the first eruption took place Friday morning and sent plumes of ash more than 20,000 feet into the air. Ash has covered much of the island, and the stench of sulfur has filled the air after a series of eruptions.

“It’s destroying everything in its path,” Erouscilla Joseph, director of the University of the West Indies’s Seismic Research Center, told The Associated Press.

“Anybody who would have not heeded the evacuation, the need to get out immediately.”

On Thursday, evacuation orders were issued for about 16,000 people in communities threatened by the volcano and cruise ships began taking evacuees to other islands nearby that agreed to take them.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths, although the persistent volcano activity has threatened water and food supplies, and officials are concerned about residents who have refused to evacuate the area, according to The Associated Press.

“The volcano continues to erupt explosively and has now begun to generate pyroclastic density currents. Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days,” NEMO of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said in a Facebook post Monday.

The group said attempts will be made Monday to rescue anyone still remaining in the evacuation zone. At least four cruise ships floated nearby waiting to take evacuees remaining off the island, according to AP.

“This is no joke,” NEMO of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said.

An increase in the volcano’s activity has been observed since November as researchers detected a series of small volcano-tectonic earthquakes.

The volcano last erupted in 1979. and a devastating eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600. St. Vincent has a population of more than 110,000 people.

Satellite animation from NOAA's GOES-East satellite captures the current volcanic ash fallout from #LaSoufriere in St. Vincent impacting the island of Barbados. #Barbados #volcano pic.twitter.com/A4hOe5QzAG

— Bajan Fire Fighters (@bajanfire) April 10, 2021

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Ash Falls like Snow on Barbados

Newsweek- Plumes of volcanic ash have fallen like snow on the island of Barbados after the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on nearby St. Vincent.

Residents of Barbados, over 120 miles from the explosive volcano on the Caribbean island, shared videos on social media showing darkening skies and thick chunks of ash raining down on roads and the landscape.

One video, uploaded by Twitter account Bajan Lifestyles, showed ash falling on Barbados’ east coast on April 10. “Right now, it looks like night,” the uploader was heard saying.The La Soufrière volcano first erupted on Friday last week, with scientists warning that the eruptions may continue for several days to weeks. Around 16,000 residents living in a “red zone” were told to urgently evacuate their homes, the BBC reported.

The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said on Sunday the blast left St. Vincent and the Grenadines looking “like a battle zone.” On Monday it said the volcano continued to “erupt explosively” and may do so for several days.

As the ash spread to neighboring islands and into the Atlantic Ocean by the wind, the NEMO agency warned: “Ash particles can be breathed into lungs. They can cause runny nose, sore throat, hacking cough, wheezing or shortness of breath.”

In another video from Barbados, live-streamed by resident Roseann Haynes on April 11, ash could be seen blanketing surfaces and plants in the Waterford area of Bridgetown.

The Barbados Meteorological Service (BMS) confirmed on Monday that a volcanic ash and small craft warning released on Sunday remained in effect for Barbados.

It said: “Imagery continues to show ash plumes traveling eastward toward Barbados in varying concentrations. Given the highly active nature of the La Soufrière volcano, it is likely that further eruptions will occur and depending on the intensity of the ash plume and wind direction, Barbados may continue to [have] reduced visibility.”

Barbados residents were told ash would “cause a significant reduction in visibility and possible respiratory problems” for people who experience difficulty breathing.

On Sunday, NEMO warned roads on St. Vincent had become “treacherous” from the ashfall, after warning residents “strong sulphur scents” were also in the air.

It said “lightning, thunder and rumblings” were taking place alongside eruptions, and the majority of the island, which is home to around 110,900 people, was without power.

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Former Tourism Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Ricky Skerritt and his running mate Dr Kishore Shallow have been re-elected unopposed to the posts of President and Vice President respectively, of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

They will serve a second two-year term. The re-election process was conducted as one of the key items on the agenda of the 22nd Annual General Meeting of CWI, on Sunday April 11, 2021.

Skerritt said: “I am humbled and deeply honoured to be re-elected to serve as CWI president for a second term.  I take the responsibility to lead the board of this prestigious organization, most seriously. We have much unfinished work to do, and we renew our pledge to work untiringly to help achieve sustainable improvement, both on and off the field, for West Indies cricket.”

Dr shallow said: “I am again grateful for the continued support of the member representatives for Ricky and myself. This re-election is a victory for west indies cricket as we continue on the path of growing the game across the region, and achieving good outcomes on all fronts and at all levels.”

In addition to the election for President and Vice President, the following persons were duly elected as Member Directors of CWI:

Conde Riley – Barbados Cricket Association

Calvin Hope – Barbados Cricket Association

Bissoondyal Singh -– Guyana Cricket Board

Hilbert Foster – Guyana Cricket Board

Wilford Heaven – Jamaica Cricket Association

Dr Donovan Bennett – Jamaica Cricket Association

Enoch Lewis – Leeward Islands Cricket Board

Leon Rodney – Leeward Islands Cricket Board

Azim Bassarath – Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board

Arjoon Ramlal – Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board

Julian Charles – Windward Islands Cricket Board

Dwain Gill – Windward Islands Cricket Board

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting took place virtually via video conference. All of the Territorial Board Member Associations were fully represented.

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Cuba is the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean developing COVID-19 vaccines. There has been an interest in these vaccines within the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Now, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro says the country has signed a deal to produce two million doses per month of a Cuban coronavirus vaccine, adding that his government also managed to secure funds to fully pay for COVID jabs via COVAX, a global sharing  mechanism.

“We’ve signed an agreement to produce in our laboratories… two million vaccines a month of the Abdala vaccine… for August, September, approximately,” Maduro said on Sunday in a television address, referring to one the four vaccines that are being developed by Cuba.

The South American country will also take part in Phase 3 trials for the Abdala vaccine produced by its socialist ally.

Cuba has developed four jabs that are in various stages of clinical trials. The island nation has already started vaccinating its healthcare workers with two of its vaccines still in the third phase of clinical trials.

In Jamaica, there have been calls for the government to explore the possibilities with Cuba and it was reported recently that Suriname wants to take a Cuban vaccine. There is long-standing cooperation between CARICOM and Cuba and there’s a CARICOM/Cuba trade agreement.

This is a truly commendable achievement for Cuba, a small state, which, among the many, has four (4) vaccines listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in various stages of development. It has vaccines among the 23 at the advanced phase 3 in the development process. The Cuban vaccine, Soberana 02, is one of two vaccines being developed by the Finlay Vaccines Institute. The others are being developed by the country’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

Like other Caribbean countries also, Cuba managed COVID-19 infections in the country quite well in 2020 until it began to reopen its borders in November and cases began to increase. In August 2020, Cuba indicated its intention to develop a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine. The country currently has recorded 71,584 cases with 414 deaths. The approved local vaccine will first be used to inoculate the Cuban population of at least 6 million people.

Since the 1959 Revolution and the 1962 U.S. trade embargo, Cuba was forced to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. More so with the reduction of Russian support within the last 30 years. Cuba, however, does receive some support from Canada and the EU.

In this situation, it is recorded that Cuba prioritized the development of its main natural resource, its people, investing in education and its healthcare sector. The Cuban government emphasized research and development in the treatment of diseases affecting its people and on prevention and rehabilitation. Cuba has developed expertise in biotechnology and immunology with 8 of 13 vaccines administered to children developed and produced locally.

CARICOM countries have benefitted, over the years, from scholarships to students study in Cuba. Cuban doctors and nurses have regularly worked in the region including recently to assist with COVID, and many CARICOM nationals have utilized healthcare, particularly eye care, services in Cuba.

It was reported that by March 4, the WHO recognized national regulatory body, the Cuban Center for the State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED), gave approval for the Soberana phase 3 clinical trials to commence. The trial involves 44,000 people mainly based in Havana, the center of COVID infections, and 150,000 health care workers. In addition, 100,000 doses were sent to Iran as part of the trial. This vaccine can be stored at normal freezer temperatures and requires 2 doses.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the hemispheric arm of WHO, has been monitoring this process and seems optimistic that Cuba will be the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to produce a national vaccine.

At the end of the clinical trials, the CECMED will then be in a position to determine whether this vaccine can be approved for general use in Cuba. They are hoping that this should occur by June with full-scale vaccinations commencing in August. For the vaccine to be used outside of Cuba, it would be preferable it is approved by the WHO for emergency use.

It now appears a second of the Cuban vaccines, Abdala, has just arrived at phase 3 clinical trials, and there’s also a nasal spray vaccine, Mambisa, in the queue.

At the World Trade Organization (WTO), where discussions have been ongoing on a proposal, originally from India and South Africa, for a waiver from patents and other intellectual property rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), it is not surprising that Cuba, as a vaccine developer, is not a co-sponsor.

It seems this could jeopardize its position as an innovator, producer and exporter. This waiver proposal is not as straightforward and beneficial for all developing countries as it may seem on the surface. As with many things, the devils are in the details

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Caribbean Airlines has cancelled its flights between Guyana and Barbados as well as Saturday services to and from St. Vincent, following explosive eruptions at the La Soufriere volcano that caused ash falls, which scientists said “pose a significant threat to flight safety”.

The Trinidad-based airline said that due to the volcanic activity, it would not be operating flight BW 200 scheduled for Barbados-St Vincent-Grenada and flight BW 201 from Grenada to Barbados on Saturday.

That announcement came after the first volcanic eruption at 8:41 a.m., which sent ash plumes as high as 29,000 feet.

A team from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), which is monitoring the volcano in St Vincent, cautioned that “regional aviation interests can also expect to be impacted by volcanic ash. The volcanic ash poses a significant threat to flight safety”.

Caribbean Airlines issued a release later in the evening, after the second eruption which occurred around 2:45 p.m., informing that flights BW 215 and 217 from Ogle, Guyana to Barbados, which were scheduled to operate on Friday, had also been called off.

“All passengers have been contacted and will be accommodated on next available services,” it said in both statements.

Since then, the UWI-SRC team said a third explosive eruption occurred around 6:35 p.m.

“As explosive eruptions continue at La Soufriere, volcano ash fall will be a pervasive hazard throughout St Vincent and is expected to reach neighbouring islands such as Barbados. Volcanic ash is not necessarily deadly but can lead to respiratory problems and may also impact vehicles and plane engines,” the scientists said.

It is estimated that phases of explosive eruption are likely to continue for days and possibly weeks.

CMC

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The ceremony opened with a tribute to Philip, who was the academy’s first president in 1959.

Presenters including Hugh Grant, Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced the winners from the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall, but recipients accepted their honours remotely, and there was no black-tie audience to cheer them on.

Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee has enjoyed enormous success over a pioneering career, jumping between genres with the same grace as the martial artists from what is perhaps his most famous movie.

The Taiwanese director, 66, is known for films including Brokeback Mountain, Life Of Pi and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

He has won just about every award on offer – including two best director Oscars – and on Sunday received a Bafta Fellowship, the organisation’s highest honour.

Nomadland stars McDormand as a middle-aged woman who travels the American West while living out of her van and picking up short-term work.

Zhao, who lived among real American travellers for the film, thanked “the nomadic community who so generously welcomed us into their lives.”

“How we treat our elders says a lot about who we are as a society, and we have to do a lot better,” she said.

The British film academy expanded its voting membership and shook up its rules last year in an attempt to address a glaring lack of diversity in the nominations.

In 2020, no women were nominated as best director for a seventh consecutive year, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were white.

Kaluuya was named best supporting actor for playing Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.

Youn appeared astonished to win the best-supporting actress prize for Korean-­American family drama Minari.

Bakray (19) won the Rising Star award, whose previous winners include Kaluuya, Kristin Stewart, Tom Hardy and John Boyega.

“I don’t know how to feel,” she said. “When we filmed Rocks, I thought 100 people would watch this film, max.”

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Kidnappings for ransom have surged in recent months in Port-au-Prince and other provinces, reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation, which has been rocked by recent political unrest.

The rise in gang violence and political instability have recently drawn protesters onto the streets of Port-au-Prince.

“The CHR expresses its deep sorrow, but also its anger at the subhuman situation through which we have been wading for more than a decade,” the group said in its statement.

“Not a day goes by without weeping and gnashing of teeth, yet the so-called leaders of this country, while clinging to power, are increasingly powerless.”

Father Gilbert Peltrop, secretary-general of the CHR, in an interview with Reuters news agency, said: “The nation must stand up to fight these thugs.”

State of emergency

In March, the Haitian government declared a month-long state of emergency to restore state authority in gang-controlled areas, including in the capital.

The measure was motivated by the actions of armed gangs who “kidnap people for ransom, openly declaring it, steal and loot public and private property, and openly confront the public security forces”, according to the presidential decree.

The public has also responded to the increase in crime, with hundreds of female protesters last week rallying in the capital against the gangs’ growing power.

The post Haiti: 7 Catholic Priests Being Held for $1m Ransom appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.