Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts, alert level elevated to warning

Honolulu, Sep 11 (IANS) After a lengthy period of elevated seismic activity, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has started erupting again at the summit crater, prompting the the US Geological Survey (USGS) to elevate the alert level to warning.

The eruption started at 3.15 p.m. on Sunday, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) said, adding that there was no immediate danger from the eruption to downslope communities, reports the Hawaii News Now.

Lava was remaining along a dropped down block of the caldera and the edge of Halemaumau crater, but authorities stressed that hazards were being assessed and the eruption was “dynamic”.

"HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and report any significant changes in future notices,” Hawaii News Now quoted officials as saying.

They added that all activity was confined to Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park.

Webcam images showed fountains of lava shooting into the air.

Kilauea  is the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii.

It is also one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.