Seconds from Disaster

SYNOPSIS

The tranquillity of Montserrat, an island paradise in the Caribbean, is shattered in 1995 when the Soufriere Hills erupt for the first time in recorded history. The eruption takes the population of Montserrat by surprise. Scientists flock to the island and closely monitor the volcano over the next two years. Evacuations take place and an exclusion zone is mapped out. Then at 12:45pm on June 25th 1997 two years after the first eruption a massive tremor rocks the mountain. A plume of hot ash and steam soon spews into the air; reaching 45,000 feet in a matter of minutes and shrouding half the island in darkness. There follows 25 minutes of violent activity. When the ash finally settles many hours later, a scene of total devastation is revealed; many villages are buried and 19 people are dead. Many others are lucky to be alive. Montserrat is scandalised by the deaths and an investigation gets underway to discover how and why the deaths occurred.