PRESS RELEASE – THE National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) would like to clarify that the WhatsApp images being circulated from the island of Martinique are not pyroclastic flows, but rather rapid flowing volcanic mudslide of rock debris and water known as “lahar” which occured in the river Prêcheur on Monday at about 9:00 p.m.
The mud flows are due to recent heavy rains on the island. The river Prêcheur is to the north of the island of Martinique and located between Mount Pelée and the extinct Mont Conil volcanoes.
The island has experienced occurences of lahar in previous years and a more recent occurence was on June 19, 2010 when twenty houses near the Prêcheurriver had been impacted without causing loss of life.
Pyroclastic flows, on the other hand, are fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter made up of high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas. They move at very high speed down volcanic slopes, typically following valleys.
The State services (the Volcanic and Seismological Observatory of Martinique) in Martinique have set up an active intelligence unit to monitor the development of the phenomenon.