23 injured after explosion hurls 'basketball-sized' lava bomb onto tour boat
KAPOHO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - At least 23 people were injured Monday morning after a lava explosion sent rocks and other debris flying into the air onto a tour boat in waters off the coast of Kapoho, according to Hawaii County officials.
A 'basketball-sized' lava bomb punctured the roof of the tour boat, which was carrying about 49 passengers while observing Kilauea's Kapoho ocean entry point, leaving a large hole and seriously injuring at least one woman.
The woman was later airlifted to the Queen's Medical Center on Oahu for emergency treatment, family members tell Hawaii News Now. County officials say the woman, believed to be in her twenties, suffered a fractured femur.
The incident, according to a state Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson, is currently the subject of a multi-agency investigation that also involves the U.S. Coast Guard and Hawaii County police.
Read more: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38655817/at-least-23-injured-after-lava-explosion-near-tour-boat-off-big-island