[UPDATED] Nightmare before Christmas as Piparo mud volcano awakens

Piparo resident Fedell Solomon walks past a land shift at his home on December 24. The Piparo mud volcano started to rumble on December 24 causing residents to panic. - Innis Francis

CHRISTMAS celebrations are in limbo for some Piparo residents as the mud volcano's activity ramped up on December 24, leaving them fearful that an eruption may be imminent.

Fedell Solomon, who lives closest to the volcano, said residents began hearing loud booms every few seconds from around 9 am. He was in Debe at the time and received a call from his mother saying the house was cracking. Returning home, he said he was shocked to discover that the laundry room behind the home had drifted several feet from the main structure to which it was once attached. Its rear wall and roof had collapsed, and the sloping ground was now about a foot lower than when he left home.

"I came home and noticed everything from back a couple of years ago now far worse than what had happened last time. The whole back is now not accessible no more. The cesspit has opened, the land has opened, everything has just cracked and mash up."

The mud volcano last erupted in 1997, spewing mud up to 200 feet in the air and covering roads and homes. It has been relatively dormant since, showing occasional activity. Its last major burst of activity was in 2019, which cracked Solomon's house.

The deep, intermittent booms of exploding gases were heard every few seconds. The three surrounding roads all bore signs of earth movement, with two having collapsed sections that rendered them impassable.

The only accessible route was through Panchoo Trace, which had widened in the hour Newsday was at the scene.

At least five homes were left without power as the moving earth caused a nearby utility pole to lean, bursting one of the lines into the area. TT Electricity Commission crews were on site trying to restore a supply. While there, the earth suddenly moved, tilting the pole even further, and the wires cracked through the air like whips.

Although the volcano was seen spewing chunks of mud about two feet into the air and the explosion ripping seismic instruments out of the ground, one resident, who did not want to be identified, told Newsday the activity was not an eruption but he feared one was on the horizon.

"This is the warning signs," he said.

Solomon said he witnessed the volcano spewing mud up to 15 feet high and was taking precautions to protect his family.

"Our bags are packed and ready to leave with short notice, but the end question is leave here and go where? It's not me alone, I can pack my bag and go somewhere. It's a big family that we have here but we are already to move in the event that we need to but for the most part now we just looking on and hoping for the best for the Christmas."

He lives in the house with his wife, three children and his parents.

Though ready to evacuate if needed, he was concerned about the road degradation and whether they would be able to leave the area if things escalated further.

"The road has risen about four feet, so our emergency exit...now no longer exists."

To the east of the volcano, residents appeared to be unaffected and unbothered by the activity. Some continued cleaning for Christmas, while others were seen washing their vehicles.

Ameen: Stay away from the mud volcano

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen has warned people not to venture into the area.

"I’m urging motorists to access wherever they’re going, try to avoid those roads being affected. I know people are very curious and they would want to go to the site to visit. We advise that you don’t do that because additional traffic could mean issues if we have a worsening situation. I am urging visitors to stay away from the area," she said.

Ameen said the ministry has been monitoring the situation, and traffic restrictions have been implemented.

"Traffic will be restricted from Piparo Road and diverted through Hoseinee Trace. You also have Thomas Ross Road from the Princes Town side, as well as through Piparo Road from Tabaquite. Our municipal police officers are on the ground together with the police service to ensure that motorists stay away from the roads that are being affected with the cracks and so on, and it would make access in terms of if there is need for evacuation easier for the residents."

Teams from the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC), the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC), the Police Service, the Municipal Police Service, the Fire Service and the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure were also at the scene on December 24.

"At this time, no evacuations have been ordered. The emergency shelters have not been evacuated. From my discussions with our representatives on the ground, the residents do have relatives they prefer to go by if they need to evacuate, but if need be, we do have the Piparo Community Centre that will be activated as a shelter in case residents need it."

Ameen said she remains in close contact with the local authorities and the emergency responders.

Princes Town MP Dr Aiyna Ali said about four houses were left stranded by a collapsed section of the Piparo road but measures were put in place to assist them.

"We ensured that the electricity and water was reconnected and we will get the road smoothed a bit, as much as we can, after we get the reports from the engineers, so at least they have one way out. We also informed them that if the volcanic activity increases, they would have to evacuate."

Seismic assessment ongoing

A seismic team from UWI visited the site and gathered data on from instruments stationed around the volcano.

PhD candidate Kerneese Ramjarrie told Newsday that data was collected from the pressure and temperature gauges, but it still needed to be processed and interpreted back at the university. She was unable to say whether what happened that morning was an eruption or venting until the data was processed. She was optimistic that residents and authorities could receive some answers before Christmas. UWI professor of geomechanics Oshaine Blake led the seismic team.

In 2019, geoscientist Xavier Moonan warned that the conditions at the volcano mirrored those during the 1997 eruption and warned that it was only a matter of time.

This story was originally published with the title "Piparo mud volcano erupts" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

THE Piparo mud volcano has erupted.

According to reports, the eruption took place on December 24.

Newsday understands that the Disaster Management Unit of the Couva/Tabaquite Regional Corporation is on its way to assess the situation.

This is developing story. Follow Newsday for further updates.