Spectators flock to catch a glimpse of lava flowing from Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the world’s largest active volcano, which began erupting this week for the first time since 1984.
After the Hawaiian Emergency Management Agency declared that there were no indications that the lava would threaten populated areas, dozens of people began flocking daily, including families with children, near the summit, reports a local Arabic daily quoting Reuters.
After their arrival, they pull camping chairs and bags from their cars and settle in and watch the wonders of nature for a few hours. Local artists began painting pictures of the volcanic eruption.
Authorities said the lava flows from Mauna Loa had begun to slow and spread, and were still more than five kilometers away from a nearby highway.
The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in its latest bulletin on the Mauna Loa volcano that the main lava flow is moving at a speed of 40 meters per hour.
He added that he is still monitoring seismic activity in the area, which means that lava is still flowing into the cracks and “it is likely that the activity will continue as long as we see this signal.”
Mauna Loa is located at an altitude of 4,169 meters above the Pacific Ocean, and is part of a chain of volcanoes that formed the Hawaiian Islands.
Its last eruption was in March and April 1984, when it sent lava flows eight kilometers from Hilo, the island’s largest city.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said it had opened two shelters on the island as a precaution, but had not issued any evacuation orders. The sources added that about half of Mauna Loa’s recorded eruptions did not pass the summit.