00:00Clouds of blazing ash obscure the sun. The ground is shaking. People are running in different
00:06directions. A volcanic eruption has begun. And it started suddenly. A small sunny coastal town
00:13is facing one of the most devastating natural disasters. The ash will settle. Lava will spill
00:20out of the volcano's mouth. And within a few hours, the ancient city of Pompeii will be in…
00:26Wait a minute. People get into cars and drive away. This is not Pompeii. This is a modern town.
00:34Huh? Is it possible for a city to get buried during an eruption today? Unfortunately, yes.
00:42Welcome to Montserrat, which is also called the Pompeii of the Caribbean.
00:47Montserrat is not a city. This is the British Overseas Territory in the Lesser Antilles,
00:56one of the Caribbean islands. It has the Soufrir Hills volcano that turned the lives of many
01:01residents of the capital, Plymouth, into a nightmare in 1995. But what kind of place is this and why do
01:09people live here at all? The Montserrat area is not very big. It's about six times smaller than the
01:16Chicago area, and there aren't many people living here. Before 1995, the population of Montserrat was
01:23about 15,000 inhabitants. It's not a lot, but the island gathered several different cultures,
01:30as it was inhabited by the Irish, Africans, and indigenous people. Montserrat is one of the
01:37youngest volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles. Before 1995, the Soufrir Hills volcano erupted here
01:44in the 17th century. Many years had passed since then, so people were not very worried about its new
01:51awakening. They rested, worked, had fun, went boating to other islands. And all this continued for about
01:58300 years. Then, the serene paradise life ended. In 1995, seismic activity began.
02:07It continued for several months and led to an explosive eruption in 1996. Fortunately, no one got
02:14hurt. But the real disaster hit in June 1997. Something bad started happening at the top of the
02:21Soufrir Hills. At an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the volcano began spitting out ash clouds, rocks, and hot
02:31gas, releasing its boiling innards, which were rapidly falling down the steep slope. The locals were
02:38terrified. Some people had evacuated from the island by that time. They had to leave their homes and sail
02:45away. But some locals stayed and didn't survive. The pyroclastic flow destroyed many buildings, streets,
02:52and roads. In case you didn't know, the pyroclastic flow is a dense, thick mix of volcanic ash,
03:00lava, and hot gases that moves as an incandescent mass at high speed.
03:07It burns and destroys everything in its path. On that day, the pyroclastic flow
03:13was moving at 62 miles per hour, with its temperature reaching around 1470 degrees Fahrenheit. Imagine
03:22boiling water. Pretty hot, isn't it? And the temperature of that pyroclastic flow was almost
03:28seven times higher. One part of the inhabitants of the island moved to its northern part,
03:34and the other migrated to the neighboring islands. Since then, Plymouth has become a ghost town.
03:40Thanks to the solidified magma, you can see buildings that seem to have particularly sunk
03:46through the ground or are stuck in textures. The streets are deserted, and the roads are covered
03:52with a thick layer of volcanic mass. After the eruption, only 1,000 people stayed on the island.
04:00There are about 4,500 people living there now, all of them in the northern safe part.
04:07The southern side of the island is now called the exclusion zone. It's divided into five parts,
04:13A, B, C, F, and V, the most dangerous area. Why is it dangerous? Because the volcano is still
04:22active. Periodically, it spits out clouds of ash. It can erupt with devastating force at any moment,
04:30but that doesn't stop thrill-seekers. Montserrat attracts many tourists who like to walk in the
04:36picturesque areas near the active volcano. People also love the ghost town. The roofs of houses,
04:43spires, and the remains of the clock tower stick out of the solidified lava. Broken windows with torn
04:50curtains and dilapidated former hotels attract many tourists. You can enjoy the beautiful tropical
04:56northern part of the island and see the apocalyptic picture in its southern part. Locals actively promote
05:03tourism and advertise their home as the Pompeii of the Caribbean. Would you like to visit this place?
05:11Living next to a volcano is quite risky, but how about living inside a volcano?
05:18Near 220 miles south of Tokyo, there's a beautiful island of Aogashima, most of which is occupied by an
05:26active volcano. But how can people live inside a volcano and not be afraid? The answer is simple.
05:33This place is too beautiful. Besides, the last major eruption occurred there at the end of the 18th
05:39century. People don't live right inside the crater. That would be too much. A small settlement is
05:46located inside the outer wall of the crater, far from the geothermal activity and quite far from the
05:52dangerous peak. But it's still a pretty extreme place to call home. The population of the island is
05:58about 170 people and they're not going to leave. Here you can find only one shop, one post office,
06:06free camping and a couple of guest houses and three bars. It sounds pretty cozy considering that all
06:13this is located in a green paradise. But in 1785, this paradise resembled Pompeii during the infamous
06:21catastrophe. According to stories and remaining records, the first tremors occurred on May 18 or so.
06:29It was a warning of the impending disaster. At that time, 327 residents lived in Aogashima. It's not known
06:38whether they attached importance to the small earthquake, but they continued to live peacefully
06:43for another couple of weeks. The volcano's activity increased. The disaster was inevitable,
06:49so evacuation from the island began on June 4. Unfortunately, it was too late. There were earthquakes,
06:57terrible roars, and streams of hot lava that covered trees, roads, and houses. Many didn't survive that
07:04day. And still, the descendants of those who escaped from the island that day now reside in Aogashima.
07:12Aren't they afraid of another eruption? They look at this situation differently. Nothing can stop nature,
07:19so there's no point in resisting. And if there's no eruption, then it's better to enjoy the picturesque
07:24views and the relaxed rhythm of the island. Few people live there and there's almost no urban
07:30entertainment. But still, you can find what to do. In the afternoon, you can walk along the green
07:38mountain range and enjoy the view of the Philippine Sea. You will feel one with nature, beautiful birds,
07:44the warm sun, and the physical exertion of the trip. It will all charge you with energy and inspiration.
07:51You can also go fishing, camping, or chat with the locals. At night, you can look at the stars. The
07:58night sky is perfect in Aogashima. Away from city lights, there's a low level of light pollution. A
08:06detailed star map can help you study celestial bodies without a telescope. Since the place is essentially an
08:13active volcano, you can find many geothermal springs there. One of the coolest and most popular places to
08:20visit is Aogashima furiae. It's a sauna that uses volcanic energy to maintain high temperatures in the
08:28steam rooms. And outside the rooms, you can also find hot air vents for cooking. How about an omelette
08:35fried in volcanic heat? Sounds appealing! Of course, it's quite difficult to get to this place since
08:41Aogashima is a very remote island. You first need to get to the nearest larger island, Hachichojima. There are
08:48regular flights to it directly from Tokyo. You can also choose a more romantic trip and take an
08:54overnight ferry. It's only two and a half hours by boat between Hachichojima and Aogashima. But if
09:00you've spent enough money, you can pay for a helicopter trip and spend a mere 20 minutes to get there.
09:07It wouldn't be surprising if you wanted to stay on the island forever after visiting it for the first
09:11time. A measured life in nature or the bustle of the concrete jungle. Which one would you choose?
09:18But don't forget that at any moment, you can feel the ground tremble. But let's hope there won't be
09:24any eruptions soon. That's it for today. So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video
09:30a like and share it with your friends. Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the
09:35bright side.
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