Hawaii's "lava bomb" crushes through the roof of the tour boat, injuring 23 people

A volcanic explosion injured more than 20 people on a tourist boat watching the lava flow from Hawaii's active volcano into the ocean.

The boat was off the eastern coast of the island when the volcano sent The Hawaii County Civil Police said that of the 23 wounded, four were taken by ambulance to the hospital including a 20-year-old woman who was injured by volcanic bombs. She was seriously injured after fracturing the femur bone.

Photos published by Hawaii County officials showed a manhole the size of a manhole in the metal roof of the boat. A woman who answered the phone at Lava Ocean Tours confirmed that it was the boat of the company that had suffered the explosion but declined to comment further. A video published by reporters on social media showed a big explosion of lava in the air.

Tour boats usually depart from Hilo, the county seat for the early morning island for three hours of tours costing between $ 225 and $ 250 US. 19659002] "Lava Ocean Tours The great boat tours on the island's lava are an exciting way to experience the hot melt lava that enters the sea," says the company on its website. "See, hear and feel the warmth of your first row seat aboard one of our world class catamarans."

According to Hawaii News Now the ship had departed with 49 passengers and three crew members on board and had visited the area around Kapoho, an unincorporated section near the coast of the island. The island where lava explosions from ongoing eruptions at Kilauea Volcano have destroyed hundreds of homes and completely filled a popular tidal bay last month. Few injured were injured.

A video published by Hawaii News Now a Mileka Lincoln reporter taking another lava boat captures a huge explosion of lava in the water.

"It is not known how far the Turpin boat was at the entrance to the Kapoho lava ocean when the explosion occurred, but witnesses report that the boat seemed to be "very close," she wrote, recently changed the mandatory safety perimeter required for ocean lava entrances from 100 to 50 m for tour operators.

State and police said they were investigating the incident.Volunteer Wendy Stovall of the US Geological Survey said USA Today that lava bombs may result from the Interaction between the lava and the ocean, because the water turns into steam and causes the explosion of the lava.guard against the dangers of laziness, potentially dangerous mixture of water. hydrochloric acid, vapor and tiny glass particles in the air that results from the interaction of the lava and water

Shane Turpin, the captain of the boat in the incident, AP that the group had been about 250m from the lava.

"As we were coming out of the area, all of a sudden everything around us exploded," he said. "He was everywhere."

He said that the crew did not detect any warning before the explosion.

The volcano eruption in Hawaii has been a permanent emergency on the island since May, sending thousands of residents out of their homes, destroying hundreds of structures, and captivating the world through striking images showing the gross destructive power of the earth. The lava has also created a small island off the coast this week.