Residents on edge as Piparo mud volcano rumbles again

Piparo residents are on edge again as the mud volcano there is rumbling once more.

Villagers said the noises have now caused panic throughout the community and many people have been sleeping uneasily since Sunday.

President of the Piparo Village Council Roland Ghany said, the residents have been facing this dilemma for over 20 years.

“Noises were also heard last year, and large cracks appeared and still nothing was done to put the residents' minds at ease.”

He said there is not a well-equipped shelter in place in the event of an evacuation.

“They have been referring to the Piparo community centre as a shelter, but that building is not equipped to be a shelter.”

In September 2019, there were gas emissions from the volcano. During that time, many fearful villagers fled their homes.

Seismologists from the University of the West Indies, who visited the volcano last year, said the activity of the volcano was similar to what they saw in 1997 when it last erupted.

Officials from the ODPM and the Couva/ Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporation are expected to visit the area on Thursday.