基拉韋厄火山噴發大量紅色火山灰。（法新社）
（華盛頓4日綜合電）夏威夷的基拉韋厄火山於週四下午4時45分噴發，火山熔岩流入住宅區，夏威夷大島多達一萬人被要求離開家園。
美聯社報導，基拉韋厄火山在周三早上錄得50次小型地震後，於週四下午4時45分爆發，溶岩流向民居。
報導指，火熱的溶岩在萊拉尼莊園住宅區裂縫流出，莫哈拉街更已被溶岩覆蓋，當地消防局已強制撤離該區域1萬名居民。
觀察站所屬的美國地質堪探局，周三派出兩批地面工作人員，前往現場安裝新監察儀器。夏威夷教育局表示，由於地震活動持續，一間鄰近火山區的學校已經停課。
夏威夷縣長辦公室早前發出聲明，指政府正為火山可能爆發作準備，包括物色庇護所、動員警方和其他保安人員，以確保居民安全，並責令道路工作人員確保疏散路線暢通。
圖：歐新社、法新社
文：綜合報導
火熱的溶岩在萊拉尼莊園住宅區裂縫流出。
直升機週三近距離拍攝正在冒煙的火山口。（歐新社）
Hawaii volcano evacuation: 10,000 told to get out NOW as Kelaueu erupts
TEN thousand people have been ordered to evacuate their homes in Hawaii after Kilauea volcano released lava into residential areas following numerous days of earthquakes.
By REBECCA PERRING
PUBLISHED: 05:39, Fri, May 4, 2018 | UPDATED: 09:22, Fri, May 4, 2018
Kilauea Volcano erupted after hundreds of small earthquakes on the island shook over the last couple of days, including a 5.0 tremor at about 10.30 am, the US Geological Survey said.
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the Big Island, which caused a giant plume of pink smoke to rise from the mountain.
Residents in the Puna community, home to around 10,000 people, were ordered to evacuate after public works officials reported steam and lava emissions from a crack.
Ikaika Marzo told Hawaii News Now that he saw “fountains” of lava.
Tina Neal, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge, said: 「It appears that ground shaking from the earthquake caused rockfalls in the Pu’u O’o crater on Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone, which resulted in a short-lived plume of reddish ash rising above the cone.」
The earthquake was located around 18 miles south west of the Hawaiian Paradise Park and 26.6 miles south of Hilo, and was at a depth of around 4 miles.
It was the strongest tremor in a series of hundreds of magnitude 2.5 earthquakes along the east rift zone.
Hawaii County news said: 「All areas bordering the east rift zone are at high risk for eruption activities.
REUTERS
Lava flows appeared in Leilani Estates in lower Puna shortly after 4pm local time
EPA
Evacuations have been ordered in Hawaii after lava flows appeared in residential areas
REUTERS
Residents reporting seeing ‘fountains’ of lava
「Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has identified magma movement in the lower east rift zone.
「We urge all residents to keep themselves informed and on the alert.」
A new lava flow appeared in Leilani Estates in lower Puna shortly after 4pm local time, causing Hawaii County Civil Defence officials to commence their evacuation plans.
Mount Kilauea sits on the largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian island range, know as Big Island.
Located along the southern shore of the island, the volcano is thought to be between 300,000 and 600,000 years old, making it one of the youngest in the region.
Despite its age, Mount Kilauea is thought to be one of the most active on earth.
The last serious eruption in 1924 resulted in one fatality, when the volcano hurled mud, debris and giant hot rocks weighing as much as 7,000kg into the air and across much of the island.
The unlucky person killed was a daredevil photographer, who ventured too close to the action.
Prior to this, Kilauea is thought to have killed around 80 people when it erupted without warning in the late 1780s.
This latest activity is causing a panic, with the USGS is currently ranking the volcano as colour code orange, meaning the threat potential is 『very high』.
The Kilauea Volcano has been erupting nearly continuously for more than three decades. Lava flows from the volcano, one of five on the island, have buried 48 square miles (125 km).
The leading edge of the lava can reach temperatures of about 2,100 Fahrenheit (1,149 Celsius).
Additional reporting by Matthew Robinson