INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Authors: JordanUSGS had raised the volcano alert in the area from a watch to a warning
(AFP)Los Angeles: The US state of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted Thursday, causing lava to spew out of ground
fissures in residential areas and prompting authorities to mandate thousands of people to evacuate.US Geological Survey authorities of the
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory unit were both on the ground and headed into the air to assess the eruption, which followed dozens of
earthquakes in recent days and began around 4:45 pm local time (0245 GMT), according to the agency.Local news footage showed streams of lava
snaking through a forest, while the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency reported "steam and lava emissions from a crack in Leilani
Subdivision in the area of Mohala Street," following the blast, mandating all residents to leave the affected area.At 10:30 am a 5.0
magnitude earthquake south of the Puu Oo volcano cone triggered rockfalls and potential collapse into a crater on the volcano, according to
USGS."A short-lived plume of ash produced by this event lofted skyward and is continuing to dissipate as it drifts southwest from Puu Oo,"
an advisory from the agency said, warning that "anyone downwind may experience a dusting of ash." Local news footage showed streams of lava
(AFP)The giant pink-hued plume was seen rising above the zone, with authorities warning of subsequent "lava inundation," fire, smoke, and
additional earthquakes.Hazards also included "potentially lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas" in the zone as well as methane blasts
that could propel large rocks and debris in adjacent areas.'New Ground Cracks'Governor David Ige had activated the archipelago state's
National Guard troops, and told residents to pay heed to warnings from the Civil Defense Agency."Please be alert and prepare now to keep
your family safe," Ige wrote on Twitter.A local community center was open to residents impacted by the threat, Hawaii's emergency management
agency said.USGS had raised the volcano alert in the area from a watch to a warning, reporting that "new ground cracks" were discovered in
the late afternoon."White, hot vapor and blue fume emanated from an area of cracking in the eastern part of the subdivision," the agency
wrote, saying spatters began just before 5:00 pm.USGS emphasized that the early stages of fissure eruptions are "dynamic," and "additional
vents and new lava outbreaks may occur.""At this time it is not possible to say where new vents" could happen, it said.The Leilani Estates
area is part of the Big Island's Eastern Rift Zone, in which the Hawaii Volcano Observatory had "identified magma movement" and warned
residents that seismic activities and eruptions could take place without notice."All areas bordering East Rift Zone at high risk for
eruption," said Hawaii County's mayor Harry Kim.
