On Thursday, February 11th, following a volcanic eruption on the island of Montserrat, local authorities shut down Pointe-a-Pitre international airport, Guadeloupe's main airport. On Friday, February 12th, as five centimeters of ashes blanketed Pointe-a-Pitre, schools will remain closed until Monday. Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat started to spew ashes at around 5:30 PM local time (09:30 PM GMT).
The island of Montserrat is located 80 km south of Pointe-a-Pitre. In 1997, two years after the volcano became active, a devastating eruption killed 19 people and buried much of the island, including its former capital, Plymouth, which is now abandoned. Following this eruption, half the population left the tiny island.
It is recommended to pay an acute attention to local media and obey the recommendations given by the authorities. If you are supposed to travel to the area in the upcoming days, please contact your Airline Company in order to check your flight status.
