The Soufrière Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat erupted in 1995 due to its location on a destructive plate boundary, where the Atlantic oceanic plate is subducting under the Caribbean continental plate. As magma rose from the subducting plate it formed the composite Soufrière Hills volcano. In June 1997, the volcano's dome collapsed, sending pyroclastic flows down the mountain that engulfed villages, killing 19 people. The eruption destroyed homes and infrastructure across the southern half of the island.