At least 23 people were injured on Monday when airborne “lava bombs” hit a tour boat near Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, according to local officials.
The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency wrote that “23 passengers on a lava tour boat were injured when an explosion at the ocean entry hurled lava bombs and debris onto their boat.”
The “lava bomb” was sent into the air during a volcanic explosion, which also sent debris and rocks flying, officials said in a statement. “A basketball-sized lava bomb punctured the vessel’s roof, and explosion debris littered the floor of the boat,” the officials said.
Of those injured, four were taken to the hospital via ambulance, officials said. One was seriously injured with a fractured femur.
The majority of the injured people had “superficial injuries” and were treated on arrival at Wailoa Harbor in Hilo, Hawaii, officials said.
“Eyewitnesses report that it ripped through the tour boat roof and landed on several people—injuring both passengers and crew members,” said Hawaii News Now reporter Mileka Lincoln on social media.
Kilauea has been spewing lava for more than a month, destroying hundreds of homes in the area.
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