Hawaii eruption could last years

HAWAII - The eruption of the Kilauea volcano could last for months or years and threaten new communities on Hawaii's Big Island, according to a report by US government geologists.

A main risk is a possible change in the direction of a lava flow that would destroy more residential areas after at least 712 homes were torched and thousands of residents forced to evacuate since Kilauea began erupting on May 3, the report by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

A higher volume of molten rock is flowing underground from Kilauea's summit lava reservoir than in previous eruptions, with supply to a single giant crack - fissure 8 - showing no sign of waning, said the study published last week.