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Residents Rescued From La Soufriere Volcano's Dangerous 'Red Zone'

The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard rescued people from the town Owia on Saturday, April 10, a day after the volcano La Soufriere erupted, officials said.

Residents in St Vincent’s “red zones” were ordered to leave on Thursday, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said. The “red zone,” which includes Owia, has been categorized as a “very high hazard” area expected to receive the most damage, officials said.

Some Owia residents did not heed the evacuation order and had to be brought to safety by the country’s coast guard on Saturday, according to the National Emergency Management Organisation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (NEMO).

Mark Jacobs said he works with the Owia Fisheries Complex and assisted the coast guard with evacuations on Saturday.

Jacobs provided this footage that shows residents boarding a boat along the ash-covered coast of Owia. The video then shows a boat full of evacuees speeding across the ocean under the dark sky. Residents were brought to the Kingstown Cruise Ship Terminal and dispatched to various shelters, Jacobs said.

La Soufriere erupted again on Tuesday, coinciding with the 42nd anniversary of the volcano’s 1979 eruption. Credit: Mark Jacobs via Storyful