Hawaiian man shatters leg after getting lava-bombed
- 6 years ago
BIG ISLAND, HAWAII — Hawaii's Kilauea volcano claimed its first serious injury after a local was lava-bombed while on his home's balcony.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports that according to Hawaii County Fire Department officials, the homeowner had been standing on his 3rd floor balcony when a lava bomb struck his leg, shattering it from shin to foot. He's alive but currently in the hospital, reports ABC 13.
Lava bombs are masses of molten rock that are hurled hundreds of feet into the air during an eruption, and which solidify before hitting the ground.
According to officials, these lava spatters can be as large as a cow and weigh as much as a refrigerator. Even small pieces can be deadly.
Scientists believe the spatter as well as a recent change in lava flow may be due to old and new magma mixing in the ground, creating hotter and higher lava fountains.
Elsewhere on Big Island, quick-flowing lava from two fissures has reportedly merged and cut through a highway towards the ocean. This latest development has prompted evacuations and health hazard warnings due to increased sulfur dioxide emissions.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports that according to Hawaii County Fire Department officials, the homeowner had been standing on his 3rd floor balcony when a lava bomb struck his leg, shattering it from shin to foot. He's alive but currently in the hospital, reports ABC 13.
Lava bombs are masses of molten rock that are hurled hundreds of feet into the air during an eruption, and which solidify before hitting the ground.
According to officials, these lava spatters can be as large as a cow and weigh as much as a refrigerator. Even small pieces can be deadly.
Scientists believe the spatter as well as a recent change in lava flow may be due to old and new magma mixing in the ground, creating hotter and higher lava fountains.
Elsewhere on Big Island, quick-flowing lava from two fissures has reportedly merged and cut through a highway towards the ocean. This latest development has prompted evacuations and health hazard warnings due to increased sulfur dioxide emissions.