Ash contaminated local supplies, St Vincent to experience water shortage

Officials on the Caribbean island of St Vincent have cautioned residents that there is a shortage of water because ash from the volcano La Soufriere has contaminated local supplies.

The volcano erupted again on Tuesday around 06:00 local time (10:00 GMT) - the fifth consecutive day of eruptions - and sent crests of smoke into the atmosphere, as well as ash and other volcanic substance flowing under its sides.

Between 16,000 and 20,000 people have been relocated from areas near the volcano, including about 3,000 who reside in more than 80 government-run shelters.

La Soufriere erupted on Friday after the government issued a mandatory evacuation order and experts said people could expect the volcano to continue erupting for a few more days.

The central water and sewerage authority has not been able to harvest any water from the water sources since the eruption, said government spokesman Sehon Marshall. This has led to the reduction of more than 50 percent of water storage.

On Tuesday, dozens of people lined up to receive water or collect money sent by friends and family abroad.

'No water, no dust in our house. We thank God we are alive, but we need more relief at the moment, 'Paul Smart, a retired police officer who stood in one crowd, told the Associated Press news agency.

The island is covered with ash from the volcano, which has destroyed crops and polluted the water supply.

"We are still looking for water and food," Jenetta Young Mason, 43, who fled her home in the danger zone to stay with family members.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told a news conference on local station NBC Radio that St Vincent would need hundreds of millions of dollars to recover from the massive explosion, but did not provide further details.

He added that no accidents had been reported to date. "We have to try to keep the record," he said.

Gonsalves continued to urge residents who refused to leave their homes in areas near the volcano to evacuate as soon as possible.

La Soufriere last exploded in 1979, while an eruption in 1902 resulted in the death of 1,600 people.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said on Monday that the entire community on the main island was deprived of electricity or clean drinking water.

According to reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Stephane Dujarric said about 20,000 people needed shelter.

"The eruption affected most livelihoods in the northern part of the island, including banana farming, with ash and lava flows impeding the movement of people and goods," Dujarric said during a briefing.