Volcanic Eruptions Intensify on Caribbean Island of Montserrat

The 2-year-old eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano on the British Caribbean island of Montserrat have intensified in recent days, resulting in flows of hot gas and rocks that burned much of the evacuated capital of Plymouth. Chunks of pumice up to three inches in diameter pelted the volcano observatory staffed by foreign scientists and forced the evacuation of the central part of the island, several miles north of the volcano, for the first time.

The British government announced that it would poll inhabitants about evacuating the entire 7-by-11-mile island. Only about 4,000 of the original 11,000 population still remain. The eruptive cycle was preceded by 98 years of earthquake swarms. At least 24 people are dead or missing as a result of the eruptions this year.