A volcano explodes in Hawaii

The Kilauea volcano has erupted in Hawaii. A state of emergency has been declared and thousands of inhabitants have been evacuated.

Mount Kilauea's volcano has erupted near a residential area on the largest island of Hawaii, boosting a state of emergency locality and the mandatory evacuation of 1,700 residents.

The extremely high gas levels of sulfur dioxide have been detected in the evacuation area, the Civil Defence Agency reported.

Community centres are open to provide housing. The blast follows a series of strong earthquakes during the last days.

An appearance of the volcanic crater known as Puu Oo ʹ collapsed earlier this week, sending lava down the mountain slopes into inhabited areas.

Officials had warned residents all week that they should be prepared to evacuate because of the dangerous situation. The inhabitants show their terror and fear. One family says they left their home in their last moments before the mortar destroyed the apartment.

Hawai Governor David Ige says he has activated the National Guard's military reserve to help evacuate thousands of citizens. TV footage showed a river of lava flowing from Mount Kilauea. Meanwhile, earlier this year, a false alarm that a ballistic missile has been launched in the direction of the island caused panic, forcing American states to reconsider their alarm systems.

Found in the evacuation area, the Civil Defence Agency announced.