A volcano in Hawaii, threatening to blow its top, has been sputtering lava for a week, and it’s left some devastating results.
The Kilauea volcano has forced about 2,000 people to flee and destroyed dozens of homes.
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Even without an explosion, the damage left behind by lava is substantial in some areas.
One Hawaii resident, Warren Fintz, recorded damage in the residential area of Leilani Estates, located in the Island’s Puna region.
Magma has been draining out of the volcano’s sinking lava pool and flowing underground eastward before bursting to the surface on Kilauea’s eastern flank in the lower Puna area.
The May 8 video shows blackened, solidified lava covering streets and thick clouds of smoke hanging low in the air.
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It also shows deep volcanic fissures, vents through which lava erupts, along the ground. Fifteen such fissures have been noted in the area, and they have destroyed 36 structures.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige explained Wednesday that the fissures also risk exposure to toxic gases, and as they open up there may be more evacuations.
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Exposure to very high levels of the sulfur dioxide gas emitted from the fissures can be life-threatening, experts say.
There are fears that things could get worse, with the volcano hurling ash and boulders the size of refrigerators miles into the air.
— With files from The Associated Press, Reuters
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