Volcanic "lava bomb" injures 22 people on tour boat in Hawaii

REUTERS - A fusillade of volcanic lava struck an ocean tour boat just off the Big Island of Hawaii on Monday (July 16), injuring at least 22 people in the worst casualty incident to date from the ongoing eruption of the Kilauea Volcano. One woman's leg was broken when the "lava bomb" landed on the roof of the vessel and crashed into the seating area, said Hawaii County Fire Department Battalion Chief Darwin Okinaka. Kilauea volcano has shown no signs of quieting since it first began erupting on May 3. Lava spewing from "Fissure 8" has wiped out scores of homes in Kapoho by the Pacific and filled Kapoho Bay with lava. Even though lava tourism has long existed on Hawaii's Big Island, tour boat operators have report increased demand from tourists eager to witness the latest eruption of one of the world's most active volcanoes. Visitor numbers spike each time Kilauea, which has erupted almost continuously since 1983, sends a tongue of lava toward the ocean. The current eruption is one of the longest and most intense on record.