The Digicel Group, of which Digicel Bermuda is a part, has announced a $500,000 donation of “much needed items” to support relief efforts in St Vincent & the Grenadines caused by the Le Soufriere volcanic activity.

The volcano erupted on Friday, a day after 16,000 people who live in communities close to Le Soufriere were evacuated under government orders.

The largest explosion of the current eruption occurred in the early hours of today.

A spokesman for Digicel said: “With thousands of people evacuated from the red zone and housed in shelters and significant ash fall resulting from the explosive eruptions of La Soufriere affecting the entire island, the situation is developing and deteriorating.”

Leveraging its global reach and supply chains, Digicel said it will work with the Government of St Vincent & the Grenadines to identify immediate needs – as well as procuring and shipping items identified as urgently needed in these early stages by the National Emergency Management Organisation.

Denis O’Brien, group chairman of Digicel, said: “With our priorities being helping to keep people safe and keeping them connected, it’s at times like these that our natural instinct is to want to do everything we can to help.

“As a company, as a team and as the Digicel family, we are here for the people of St Vincent & the Grenadines and ready to help in a meaningful way.”

He added: “We take our responsibility as a provider of critical national infrastructure very seriously. Ably and energetically led by Fanta Williams, our CEO for Digicel St Vincent & the Grenadines, our business continuity management teams are mobilised on-island and across the Caribbean and our focus is on ensuring our network serves the needs of the people at this critical and unsettling time – and that we come through this together.”