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Lava, ash spew from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

Wednesday, 16 May 2018 2:10 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 16 May 2018 10:06 AM ]

Lava flows at a lava fissure in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 15, 2018. (AFP)

Rockfalls and explosions at the summit of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano shot ash into the air on Tuesday as residents for the first time in the 12-day eruption got text messages from county officials warning them the ash could cause eye and breathing irritation.

An ash plume rises from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii on Hawaii's Big Island on May 15, 2018. (AFP)

A plume of gray ash and smoke rose several thousand feet above Kilauea's summit and drifted southwest to the Ka'u district and further downwind, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

"Excessive exposure can cause eye/breathing irritation. Motorists advised to drive with caution," said the County of Hawaii Civil Defense text message.

The ash threatened Ka'u district, which is about 30 miles southwest of Kilauea. To the east of the summit, toxic gas emanating from steaming gashes around 25 miles (40 km) towards the coast added to the danger facing residents, whose escape routes are threatened with closure because of lava flows, officials said.

Dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide gas and other emissions prompted state health officials to urge residents to stay indoors or leave the eastern end of Hawaii's Big Island, which has been ravaged by volcanic activity since May 3. A 20th fissure releasing lava and gases has opened on Kilauea's side, state officials said Tuesday.

Lava flows at a lava fissure in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 15, 2018. (AFP)

Lava oozing out of fissures has hit the island's lower Puna area especially hard, tearing through farmland some 25 miles (40 km) east of the volcano's smoking summit, destroying 37 homes and other structures and posing a risk of blocking one of the last exit routes, state Highway 132.

There have been no major injuries or death reported from the eruption. Officials have ordered around 2,000 residents to evacuate the Leilani Estates area in the eastern Puna district where fissures first appeared. No evacuations have been ordered from Ka'u district.

Lava from one of the fissures has been moving towards a coastal dirt road that is also a key access route for some 2,000 residents in the southeastern area of the Big Island, home to around 200,000 people.

Mass evacuations would be triggered if either highway is hit by lava, Hawaii National Guard spokesman Major Jeff Hickman said.

President Donald Trump on Friday approved a disaster declaration that makes federal relief available to the state.

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