The Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii erupted on Sunday evening, Dec. 20, authorities reported, who warned of the possibility of "
significant emission
" of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.
Read also: Thousands of Indonesians evacuated after the eruption of a volcano
"
An eruption started in the Kilauea summit caldera
," shortly after 9:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. KST), said the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS).
"
The situation is changing rapidly,
" added the USGS, which has changed its aviation code to red, advising pilots to avoid the area.
Images posted online by the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park showed on the night of Sunday to Monday lava flows tumbling down the slope of the volcano and columns of smoke rising in the night.
Noting that the wind could push the ash clouds towards the residential areas in the southwest of the island, the largest in the archipelago, the US meteorological services recommended that people with respiratory disorders take additional precautions. .
The USGS reported a shallow magnitude 4.4 earthquake near the volcano shortly after the eruption.
A popular tourist destination, Kilauea Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and has been subject to regular eruptions since the 1950s.
