Hawaii volcano eruption: Mount Kilauea shows 'NO sign of slowing down'
HAWAII'S Kilauea volcano shows "no sign of slowing down" according to one official as more than 1,700 people are evacuated from their homes.
Hawaii volcano spews LAVA WAVES in terrifying footage
The eruption on Big Island has destroyed more than two dozen homes in the Puna district as dramatic videos show lava spewing into residential areas, with fountains of ash bursting hundreds of feet in the air.
Big Island officials have warned it is impossible to predict with confidence just how long the volcanic activity might persist.
Hawaii County civil defence administrator Taimadge Magno said: “It could be happening for a long time, or on the other hand mysteriously it could just end.”
One official said there was "no sign of things slowing down."
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Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim warned his constituents to brace themselves for further disruption.
He said: “This is a very fast-moving situation.
“This is unfortunately not the end.”
Experts and emergency workers are struggling to contain the fallout from continuous eruptions in the region - but elected representatives are appealing for calm.
Amber Makuakane, a single mother who saw her property ruined on Saturday, said: “My son keeps asking me, ‘Mommy, when are we going to go home?’”
31 properties have been destroyed, although experts have warned that this number could rise in the coming days.
Residents have evacuated from Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens, both of which are located in the Puna District.
Days of earthquakes preceded the Thursday eruption, which has thrown the region into chaos.
Hot steam and toxic gases have also emerged from a number of fissures in the earth’s surface.
There were also a number of tremors on Friday that compounded difficulties for locals and emergency workers.
The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that fissures have been “active for a couple of hours before shutting off.”
The Observatory suggested that more fissures could open before the activity ends.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active and deadly volcanoes.
The volcano has been erupting since 1983, although there has been no lava threat to the population since slow-moving flow caused road closures in 2014.
