Volcano erupts in St Vincent; thousands being evacuated

WASHINGTON

A volcano that had been closely monitored in St. Vincent and the Grenadines erupted on Friday, sending a massive plume of smoke and ash soaring into the air.

The La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent erupted at 8:41 a.m. local time (1241 GMT), according to the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center.

"This is a culmination of the seismic activity that began on April 8," the monitor said on Twitter. "Ash has begun to fall on the flanks of the volcano and surrounding communities including Chateaubelair and Petite Bordel. Some has gone offshore and has even reached the Observatory."

Several empty cruise ships were set to arrive in St. Vincent on Friday after authorities ordered thousands of people who live near the volcano to evacuate the area, according to The Associated Press.

A previous eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600 people, the AP reported.