Thousands flee as volcano eruption hits residential areas

HAWAII - The Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island came to life on Thursday, belching ash into the sky and spewing fountains of lava in a residential area where people were ordered to leave their homes, officials said.

The eruption occurred after a series of earthquakes on the island over the last couple of days, including a magnitude-5 tremor at about 10:30 am, the US Geological Survey reported on its website.

Residents in the Puna community of Leilani Estates, home to about 1,700 people, were ordered to evacuate after public works officials reported steam and lava emissions from a crack at about 4:30 pm local time, according to media and the county's Civil Defense Agency.