LOS ANGELES, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tourists in the U.S. state of Hawaii should be cautious about participating in tourism projects to watch molten hot lava entering the sea for their own safety, said Consulate General of China in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Consulate General of China in Los Angeles reminds Chinese tourists to follow Hawaii agencies' policies to keep a safe distance from the dangerous area. Some local companies have been continuing to conduct lava boat tours to experience the molten hot lava entering the sea since the mass eruption of the Kilauea Volcano in early May.
A total of 23 people on a lava tour boat were injured Monday when an explosion at the ocean entry hurled lava bombs and debris onto their boat near the Kilauea Volcano.
Most of the injured passengers suffered superficial injuries and one was seriously injured with a fractured femur, according to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, adding that a "basketball-sized lava bomb" punctured the vessel's roof, and debris from the explosion littered its floor.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by lava from the Kilauea Volcano which has been erupting nearly continuously since early May. The volcano in the Big Island of Hawaii is one of the youngest and most active volcanoes in the world.
