Soufriere volcano disrupts flights

Flights across the Eastern Caribbean were disrupted yesterday as a result of a partial dome collapse at the Soufriere Hills Volcano that spewed vigorous ash plumes with thunder and lightning 40,000 feet into the air.



Director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Dr Paul Cole, says the event lasted just under an hour and triggered a series of pyroclastic flows of hot rock, ash and gas, down the northern flanks of the volcano.



At least one of the flows reached the sea on the eastern side of the island.



The event lasted 55 minutes.



As a result of the blowing ash, the John A Osborne Airport was closed temporarily.



Regional airline LIAT suspended flights in and out of neighbouring Antigua as a result of the volcanic activity.



However, there was no major disruption to life in the northern safe zone of the island, which received only a light dusting of ash.