November 12, 2024
Montserrat, a once-thriving city that was transformed into a ghost town in mere minutes, has now become a hotspot for dark tourism. This mountainous island, located in the Lesser Antilles chain in the Caribbean and a British Overseas Territory, had Plymouth as its capital until 1995.
That year, a catastrophic volcano ripped through the island, triggering a mass evacuation. Although residents initially returned to the town, a second eruption within two years obliterated most of the city, sealing its fate.
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During this time, many Irish people migrated to the Caribbean while enduring brutal oppression by Oliver Cromwell back home. Often referred to as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean due to its large number of Irish settlers, Montserrat, along with Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada, is one of the only places outside Ireland where St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday.
Plymouth in Montserrat
Plymouth used to be the capital of Montserrat before it was devastated by a volcanic eruption (Image: (Image: GETTY))
The Soufrière Hills volcano erupted in July 1995, spewing pyroclastic flows and ash across much of the island. For years, volcanologists had warned about the potential devastation such an eruption could cause, especially to the capital, which was less than four miles away from the volcano, reports the Express.
The Soufrière Hills volcano continued its eruption for weeks, and by late August, an explosion had blanketed Plymouth in a dense layer of ash, darkening the sky almost entirely. By December, the entire population of Plymouth – 4,000 people – had been evacuated.
While some returned after a few months, a massive eruption in June 1997 claimed 19 lives and saw pyroclastic flows demolish buildings and the island’s airport. This event sealed Plymouth’s fate, with the city never recovering, buried under 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) of ash, earning it the nickname ‘the Pompeii of the Caribbean’.
Plymouth, Montserrat
Today, Plymouth lies beneath a mountain of dust and ash, deserted following widespread evacuations, leaving the once enchanting place completely abandoned. Adventurous travellers can now visit the Caribbean island, with trips to Plymouth permitted but, naturally, with a word of caution.