Thousands urged to leave homes after Hawaii volcano eruption: official

Los Angeles (AFP) – Up to 10,000 people have been asked to leave their homes on Hawaii’s Big Island following the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on Thursday that came after a series of recent earthquakes.

“Department of Public Works reports steam and lava emissions from a crack in Leilani Subdivision in the area of Mohala Street,” the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency wrote in a Facebook post.

An official added the zone is home to about 10,000 people, and was a “voluntary evacuation.”