Lava from Kilauea remains an "immediate threat" top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. In the mandatory evacuation area there's an ever-present, immediate danger Captain Darren Taylor of the Hawaii National Guard The devastating seismic forces at work have already significantly reshaped Hawaii’s Big Island, which has grown by almost 700 acres so far as a report of the outpourings of lava, equal to 500 football pitches. At the same time more than 700 homes - including a property belonging to Mayor Harry Kim - have been destroyed, with more than 2000 people evacuated so far. Captain Darren Taylor of the Hawaii National Guard said: "In the mandatory evacuation area there's an ever-present, immediate danger. “Sulphur dioxide levels, wind shift. Lava pours into the ocean near Pohoiki “The immediate threat from the lava.” The continuous flow has now covered about 12.5 square miles of Hawaii's Big Island, with lakes of lava now a distinctive feature of its topography. Kapoho Bay has now been completely filled with lava, expanding the coastline further into the sea and forming a small island off the coast. Scientists believe this happened after molten lava broke through a hardened rock crust underwater and rose until it was above sea level. Kilauea volcano: 'Lava bomb' injures several on boat tour Meanwhile a school, Kua O Ka La, was last week destroyed by lava, and local beauty spot Pohoiki could go the same way within days. Evacuee Michael Hale is now living in a makeshift house with limited power – but has no plans to quit the idyllic island. Speaking to CBS, he said: "Since I've moved here I've always wanted to be here. "I could go somewhere else, rent an apartment but I don't know. This is my home." Hawaii's natural wonders BEFORE and AFTER Kilauea eruption Wed, June 20, 2018 Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 15 Kilauea's volcanic eruption has caused devastation on Hawaii's Big Island<doc-sep>Hawaii 'lava bomb': Family describe their terrifying experience top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Dawn Li, along with her husband and two children, were on a pre-dawn boat tour on Monday with other excited tourists when a “lava bomb” erupted sending it flying through the roof. Mrs Li told ABC news: “I had just said, 'This is like a Jurassic experience.' And my husband said, 'Well, this is on your bucket list’. "So, we were super excited to see it. It was amazing. “But the explosion hit and we all sort of turned simultaneously and my husband kind of leaned over me but we could feel the rocks hitting us." The explosion sent lava bombs hurling through the roof of the Lava Ocean Tours boat as the Li family described the piercing screams that broke out on the boat. Dr Kaming Li, a trauma surgeon said: “It was literally like an explosion. I've never experienced anything like this. "Just lava flying everywhere, and then this huge explosion and this very large rock hit the boat. When it hit the boat, it crashed through the roof and landed on a person and it was still glowing when it was on the ground." The US Coast Guard has restricted boats from coming within 984 feet of where the lava flow dumps since Kilauea first erupted in May. This family describes the horror they went through The son suffered severe burns on his leg However, some experienced boat operators including Lava Ocean Tours have been allowed special permits to bring tourists as close as 164 feet from the shoreline. Mrs Li feared she the boat was going to capsize. She said: “It's raining lava rock. It's hot, it's steamy. My fear was that we were going to capsize because everybody ran to the other side of the boat and you could feel the heat and the steam coming up and the sulphuric fumes. “You could feel it bubbling, the steam coming up.” Some of the damage to the boat Mr Li started treating injured passengers including a woman who’s femur was fractured after a basketball-size rock crashed through the roof. He said: “I used to be a trauma surgeon at USC. I’ve seen a to of things. This was just crazy.” Their son, Christopher, got severe burns form the sizzling rocks. He said: “I immediately got on the ground and covered my neck. I got hit in the hard. Hawaii volcano eruption: Epic aerial pictures show Kilauea destruction Tue, July 17, 2018 A 'lava bomb' shot fired from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has hit a tour boat, injuring at least 23 Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 A luminous yellow streak is visible in the darkness of dawn<doc-sep>Kilauea: Hawaiian volcano continues to SLUMP top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The increased flow destroyed one structure in Leilani Estates, though it isn’t yet clear if it was a home. The collapse explosion released energy equal to a 5.3 magnitude earthquake. Leilani Estates was the first area to be hit by mandatory evacuations when Kilauea’s activity turned explosive on May 3. More than 700 homes have been destroyed since the fissures began to open across Big Island. The overflow from the latest collapse has put homes on Nohea Street at risk within the estate. The lava from Fissure 8 has weaved its way across the East Rift Zone and made its way to the ocean, sending up massive plumes of lava haze, or ‘laze’. On Monday, a ‘lava bomb’ struck a tour boat who were witnessing the plume, injuring 23 people. A total of 13 people had to be hospitalised with burns and one woman was in a serious condition after the flying molten rock struck her in the leg, breaking her thigh bone. Hawaii volcano latest: The increased flow destroyed one structure in Leilani Estates Hawaii volcano latest: More than 700 homes have been destroyed Hawaii volcano latest: When the lava hits the sea it sends up massive plumes of lava haze, or ‘laze’ About 12.5 square miles of land have been covered with lava since the eruption began on May 3. Roads have been destroyed by opening cracks, and countless power lines have been downed. Leilani Estates and Kapoho Bay have been the worst affected since the activity bang, with about 1,500 people being forced from their homes. While the volcano has destroyed much of the man-made structures on the island, it has also created 690 acres of new land, according to the USGS. Hawaii volcano eruption: Epic aerial pictures show Kilauea destruction Tue, July 17, 2018 A 'lava bomb' shot fired from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has hit a tour boat, injuring at least 23 Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 A luminous yellow streak is visible in the darkness of dawn This new land has filled in the area once known as Kapoho Bay, as well as creating a new little island off the coast. This tiny island is likely to have been caused by volcanic flow extending underwater away from the coastline and being forced upward by water pressure. Some good news for residents of Big Island is that Kilauea’s big sister, Mauna Loa, has decreased in activity. The massive volcano was on orange warning level, but USGS monitoring has shown “the volcano is no longer at an elevated level of activity", and the warning has been reduced to green. Hawaii volcano latest: On Monday, a ‘lava bomb’ struck a tour boat Hawaii volcano latest: About 12.5 square miles of land have been covered with lava<doc-sep>People on the Big Island of Hawaii have been dealing with the eruptions and collapse events from the Kilauea volcano for almost two months now. Activity at the summit of the volcano continues with collapse events, and lava is still flowing from the island's Fissure 8. Friday morning in Hawaii, there was a collapse explosion that sent a plume of volcanic material into the sky and drifting southwest of the summit according to the United States Geological Survey. But the levels of sulfur dioxide, the gas that Kilauea releases, were actually down from where they had been when the volcano first started erupting. The next morning, there was another collapse event. That event occurred after about 15 hours of elevated seismic activity around the summit. It resulted in a steam plume that went about 500 feet in the air, similar to the previous explosion. After the explosive events, the seismicity in the area dropped significantly by about two-thirds. Prior to the events, there were about 30 to 35 earthquakes an hour resulting from the volcanic activity, after the collapse events that dropped to 10 or less for a short period before the activity increased again, according to the USGS. In addition to the collapse events that have resulted in the loss of a parking lot and a GPS station for measuring collapse, the lava that has already claimed hundreds of homes is still flowing. Fissure 8 is still erupting lava and flowing into a channel. The channel does occasionally experience small and temporary overflows, according to the USGS. The spatter cone of the fissure was reaching about 155 feet tall as of Saturday morning. The lava that was coming from the fissure was flowing down to the ocean, where it had filled the entire Kapoho Bay and moved onto the Kapoho Beach Lots, said the USGS. The lava was entering the ocean and causing a dangerous byproduct called laze, short for lava haze, that officials were warning people to avoid. The plume can damage the lungs and the skin as well as the eyes. The point where the lava enters the ocean can also experience small explosions, the USGS warned. Around Fissure 8, volcanic glass including Pele's hair was falling, more particles that residents were asked to avoid due to the irritation they can cause.<doc-sep>
Tours are still taking place around the ocean entry in Hawaii Hawaii's Big Island has been coping with the destruction caused by Kilauea's ongoing eruption for more than two months. Lava has coated the island as active fissures spew the molten rock violently into the air. Channels towards the ocean have been created, with lava flowing across the island before entering the sea. Residents remain displaced after at least 700 properties were destroyed by the ongoing explosive eruption. Despite the destruction, tourists have been flocking to see the beautiful terror of the molten lava. Tour operators have been organising boat trips around the island towards the point where lava meets the sea. However, one such boat trip ended in disaster on Monday when a lava bomb rained down on tourists. A total of 23 passengers were injured as a result of the molten rock hitting the tour boat. Hawaii 'lava bomb': Family describe their terrifying experience Ten of these were treated for superficial injuries such as burns and grazes. The remaining 13 were taken to hospital, with one woman suffering a broken femur due to the lava bomb. What is a lava bomb? When red-hot magma meets the cool ocean water, explosive reactions can occur making the surrounding area highly dangerous. One such reaction can be a lava bomb, where lava is catapulted into the air. Tourist boats must now keep a distance of 1,000 feet away from the ocean entry Shocking image shows ash inside the boat from the lava bomb This projectile travels at speed through the air and lands like a bomb, red-hot and explosive. In this case, the bomb flew out of the ocean, crashing down through the roof of the boat. How far do tourist boats need to stay back? The boat trip had been passing just 457.2 meters (1,500 ft) away from the ocean entry, for about 20 minutes. After not being able to see any danger, the captain steered the boat 228.6 metres (750 ft) away from the ocean entry point, entering the danger zone. Hawaii volcano eruption: Epic aerial pictures show Kilauea destruction Tue, July 17, 2018 A 'lava bomb' shot fired from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has hit a tour boat, injuring at least 23 Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 A luminous yellow streak is visible in the darkness of dawn