Volcanic eruption rocks Caribbean island of St. Vincent

An explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano rocked the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Friday.

It followed a mandatory evacuation orders from the local government, who told some 16,000 people to leave their homes.

Officials said the ash column rose as high as 10 kilometers (6 miles) and it headed east into the Atlantic Ocean.

Heavy ash fall also was reported in communities around the volcano, according to Erouscilla Joseph, who leads the University of the West Indies Seismic Center.

"More explosions could occur," she said, adding that it was impossible to predict whether potential explosions would be bigger or smaller than the first.

Authorities on the island have reported no casualties so far; St Vincent has seen a number of fatal volcanic eruptions in the past.

One in 1902 is estimated to have claimed the lives of about 1,600 people. Advances in seismology and early-warning systems mean that modern-day eruptions are much less likely to catch communities unawares and claim larger numbers of lives.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said evacuees would be able to seek temporary refuge on neighboring islands or be relocated to shelters in another part of St. Vincent.

But he urged people to remain calm as the government tried to find them emergency accommodation.

"I don’t want you panicked," he said. "That is the worst thing to do."

The eastern Caribbean is a highly volcanic region with as many as 19 active volcanoes spread out across 11 islands. A 1997 eruption in Montserrat killed at least 19 people.

La Soufriere is the only active volcano on St. Vincent and is the highest peak on the island at 1,234 meters (4,049 feet) tall. The volcano had previously erupted five times since 1718, with one eruption in May 1902 killing 1,680 people.

jf, wd/msh (AP, dpa)