TEHRAN, May 7 - Hawaiian authorities are urging sightseers to stay away as Leilani Estates residents return to check on their neighborhood, which is threatened by lava and toxic gases emerging from fissures in the subdivision.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) – Hawaiian authorities are urging sightseers to stay away as Leilani Estates residents return to check on their neighborhood, which is threatened by lava and toxic gases emerging from fissures in the subdivision.
Big Island's Kilauea volcano erupted Thursday, spewing molten rock and high levels of sulfur dioxide.
Cracks emerged in the volcano's East Rift Zone -- an area of fissures miles away from the volcano's summit. All residents of Leilani Estates, a community of about 1,700 people near Big Island's eastern edge, and nearby Lanipuna Gardens were ordered to evacuate.
The eruption was followed by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake Friday.
As of Sunday, 10 fissures had opened and 26 homes had been destroyed. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that active venting of lava and hazardous fumes continued.
The Kilauea volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1983, according to the US Geological Survey. Activity along the East Rift Zone has shifted down and then back up the rift, said CNN meteorologist Michael Guy. Each one of the episodes that has occurred in this 35-year period has lasted months to years, so there's no definitive way to predict how the volcanic activity will last, Guy said.
Some Leilani Estates residents were able to return to their properties from Sunday to retrieve pets, medicine and vital documents.
Sunday evening, Civil Defense said Leilani residents would be able to check on their properties until further notice between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time, with authorities on the scene determining which areas were safe to enter.
"Please be aware that because of unstable conditions that involve toxic gas, earthquakes and lava activities, lines of safety can change at any time. You must be prepared to leave areas if required," it said in a statement.
"Please, the residents of Leilani need your help. This is not the time for sightseeing. You can help tremendously by staying out of the area," Civil Defense said, warning that police had established a policy of zero tolerance towards looting or vandalism.
"Under Emergency Provisions, any looting or vandalism will be treated as a felony," the statement said.
Volcanic gases at Lanipuna Gardens meant residents did not have access to that neighborhood, it said.
Source: CNN
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