High alert as Hawaii volcano simmers

HONOLULU: An eruption began in the summit caldera of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, on Sunday night, the US Geological Service’s (USGS) volcanic activity service said. “At this time, lava flows are contained within the summit area,” it said.

However, it said that the early eruption stages of this volcano could be very dynamic and the location and advance of lava flows can change rapidly. The alert level was upgraded from an “advisory” to a “warning”. Over a dozen earthquakes of more than 2.5 magnitude struck the region, with one measuring 4.2 in magnitude.