The term "pyroclastic" is derived from the Greek words pyro (fire) and klastos (broken) and describes materials formed by the fragmentation of magma and rock by explosive volcanic activity. During the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée in Martinique, a nuee ardente demolished the coastal city of St. Pierre, killing nearly 30,000 inhabitants. Pyroclastic flows and surges have caused most of the destruction in Montserrat during the Soufrière Hills Volcano eruption.

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