radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
The rumbling of the Piparo mud volcano has intensified.
Geo-scientists say more sub-surface activity is taking place, yet the Solomon family who lives closest to the volcano still has not relocated.
In an interview with Guardian Media, resident Annalisa Solomon said they spent the night at home because conditions were not favourable at the community centre.
The facility has no bathroom and eventually after visiting the centre, the entire family moved back into their cracked house.
“We stayed awake all night on Sunday. There is still some movement to the building. Cracks are widening,” she said with worry.
However, she said they were now contemplating splitting up and staying by several family and friends.
“My parents will go somewhere, my brother and his wife will go by their in-laws and I will have to go somewhere else. It is really distressing splitting up but we know we have to move,” she said.
Solomon begged the government to provide a temporary HDC home for them so they will not have to split up while they wait for the eruption.
During the last eruption on February 22, 1997, the cracks and rumbles occurred for more than a week before the actual eruption.
Solomon said since Saturday they have been praying that their property will be saved. Their house has already suffering gaping cracks.
Meanwhile, senior geoscientist at Touchstone Exploration Xavier Moonan said the area continues to show signs of an impending eruption.
“There is a heavily-fractured area 40 feet north of the current active vent which has had a net uplift of 1.2 feet when compared to previous drone topography survey conducted in August 2019,” he said.
Moonan added: “The dextral motion to the right along the fractures and deeper faults are resulting in localised uplift and release of trapped highly pressured gases and fluids (mud) in the subsurface.
“If there is further motion along the faults, coupled with the area becoming more saturated with rainfall, the subsurface pressures will increase and may breach leading to a possible eruption.”
He again warned adventurers and tourists to stay away from the area.
“Be vigilant and do not venture onto the Piparo mud volcano until authorities deem it safe enough to do so,” he said.
Another resident who went to the site said the ground feels as if it is bubbling underneath.
Occasionally a puff of gas shoots out of the fissures which oozes fresh mud. More cracks have appeared on the road and surfaces near the main vent.
Despite the warnings, curious onlookers have continued to go to the volcano site.
During the last eruption, 31 families were displaced and several homes were covered in the mud which pitched more than 200 feet in the air.
