A 'Lava Bomb' Hits Tour Boat in Hawaii, Injures 23
A so-called 'lava bomb' hit a tour boat off the coast of Hawaii on Monday morning, injuring at least 23 people, the Hawaii County Fire Department said.
Lava and rocks from Kilauea, the erupting volcano on the Big Island, shot up and landed on the boat's roof, seeping through and injuring almost two dozen of the passengers on board, 13 of which were taken to an area hospital for further treatment. Four of the victims treated at the hospital had to be transported by ambulance. At least one patient --a 20-something woman with a fractured femur--was in serious condition. Three passengers were in stable condition.
The fire department said 10 victims had superficial injuries and were able to be treated on site when the boat arrived back at Hawaii's Wailoa Harbor. Witnesses who saw the boat return after the incident said they saw several people disembark with burns and gashes on their legs, and the boat was covered with rocks.
The tour boat holds almost 50 people, but it hasn't been reported how many total passengers were on board when the lava hit.
Kilauea has been continually erupting since early May, sending lava flows oozing into suburbs on the Big Island.
H/T: CNN
*This story has been updated with new numbers of injured passengers and their conditions.
