NEW FISSURE SPURS MORE EVACUATIONS

PAHOA A new volcanic fissure on Hawaii’s Big Island sent gases and lava exploding into the air, prompting officials to issue calls for more evacuations as residents awaited a possible major eruption at Kilauea volcano’s summit.

Hawaii County Civil Defence issued an emergency cellphone alert after the fissure was discovered Sunday morning. The agency said one “unidentified structure” was destroyed by the new vent, bringing the total number of homes and other buildings lost to nearly 40.

Residents living near the fissure were told to evacuate, and two community centres were serving as shelters.

Lava spread across hundreds of metres of private land.