Lava from Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island has destroyed 35 structures, including at least 26 homes, and the total number of fissures formed has gone up to 12.
Last week U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said lava from the Kilauea volcano is moving underground and is leaking in residential areas in the Leilani Estates – a subdivision in the Puna District.
An evacuation order was given by the authorities after a 5.0-magnitude earthquake hit the area last Thursday. Till now, more than 1700 people have been evacuated and they are currently taking shelter at community centers or on surrounding islands.
Authorities have also urged tourists to avoid Leilani Estates, where toxic sulfur dioxide gas has engulfed the surrounding areas.
Moreover, as the lava burns forested area, organic matter releases methane, which can get trapped in small pockets beneath lava flows and can explode later, according to U.S. Geological Survey volcano scientist Wendy Stovall.
Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes and last week the crater floor of the Puu Oo vent, which is a volcanic cone in the eastern rift zone of the mountain, collapsed, pushing the magma more than 10 miles downslope toward the southeast coastline.
Areas like Nanawele Estates, Leilani Estates and the coastal area of Kapoho are likely to be affected by the volcanic eruption.
Internet users have shared videos and pictures of the natural calamity on various social media platforms. Check out some of them here:
VIDEO: Fiery lava swallows car in Hawaii pic.twitter.com/fleiT8eKwJ
— azcentral (@azcentral) May 7, 2018
Oh My ???
— Big J. Shoota (@BigJShoota) May 7, 2018
Red hot lava has engulfed homes and structures in its path following volcanic eruptions on #Hawaii's Big Island. How long the #Kilauea volcano will continue to erupt?
https://t.co/5CSm38CLG7 pic.twitter.com/lxEy6QD50Xpic.twitter.com/1hgvSqRXuY
#Drone captures destruction of Kilauea #lava flow #KilaueaErupts #Kilauea #Volcano #EastRiftZone #LeilaniEstatesEruption #LeilaniEstates #Puna #BigIsland #Hawaii pic.twitter.com/PluRKhhfno
— sudhakar (@naidusudhakar) May 8, 2018
Just met Upamanyu Datta, 35, and his wife Mohor, 32, at the Hilo airport, who are visiting from DC and said they were walking near the Chain of Craters in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Friday when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Big Island. These are their pictures: pic.twitter.com/lhkRiKSfmb
— Michelle Broder Van Dyke (@MBVD) May 7, 2018
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is squirting lava and toxic gas through new cracks in the Earth https://t.co/PqSuSiRSxa pic.twitter.com/xuFb6BSe8H
— Matt Marohl (@mattmarohl) May 8, 2018
Since May 3rd, Hawaii’s most active volcano, called Kilauea, has been spewing out lava and molten rock on a residential area called Leilani Estates, prompting evacuations and destroying up to 26 homes. The eruption has also been providing us with some stunning and terrifying pics pic.twitter.com/Y3Jq7FrK3A
— Jim Rucker (@chicojimj) May 7, 2018