Pelée, 1902

Small earthquakes, steam from the volcano and ashfall over the surrounding towns preceded the main event, and reports place the start of the eruption on 7 May 1902. The eruption of 8 May destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre on Martinique. A further explosion on 20 May killed 2,000 rescuers and others working in the aftermath, and cities near the volcano were covered in ash.

Eruption start

1902-04-23

Eruption end

1905-10-05

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)

4

Volcano

Pelee

GVP volcano page

volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=360120

Category: Disasters & Incidents

Tags: martinique, lesser antilles, pyroclastic, town destroyed

Coordinates: 14.809, -61.166

Part of Volcanic eruptions of VEI 4 from 1900 to 1949

Related collections

• Mass shootings in the United States that killed 13 or more people since 1949 — United States · 18 locations
• Industrial and accidental explosions that killed 200 or more people since 1900 — Worldwide · 13 locations
• Peacetime shipwrecks that killed 500 or more people since 1900 — Worldwide · 10 locations
• Tsunamis with waves of 15 metres or more from 1800 to 1899 — Worldwide · 12 locations
• Western Pacific typhoons of category 4 and above in the 2010 to 2013 seasons — Western North Pacific · 18 locations
• Western Pacific typhoons of category 4 and above in the 2016 season — Western North Pacific · 8 locations