Kilauea spews lava into the ocean

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano spewed lava into the ocean Sunday, creating a toxic cloud of acid and tiny glass shards. Officials warned residents and curious visitors to stay away from the coast and the rivers of lava now pouring down the sides of the mountain. The cloud drifted as far as 15 miles west of the point where the lava gushed into the ocean on the Big Island’s southern coast. Kilauea began erupting two weeks ago when fissures started opening in the ground near the mountain’s base. The cracks appeared in two neighborhoods, prompting officials to evacuate thousands of residents. The amount of sulfur dioxide gas billowing from the fissures tripled after the latest eruption, and officials again warned about dangerous air quality in the area. Two eruptions Sunday unleashed clouds of ash, but so far no fountain of lava has come pouring from the summit. On Saturday, officials announced the first injury associated with the eruption: A man suffered a broken leg after getting struck by flying lava. So far, Kilauea has destroyed about 40 structures, nearly two dozen of which were homes.