Ash pours down on Caribbean island after volcanic explosion

Plumes of ash rise from the La Soufriere volcano (Orvil Samuel/AP)

Extremely heavy ashfall has rained down on parts of the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent a day after a powerful explosion at La Soufriere volcano forced the evacuations of thousands of residents.

Nations ranging from Antigua to Guyana offered help by either shipping emergency supplies to their neighbour or agreeing to temporarily open their borders to the roughly 16,000 evacuees.