New volcano vents prompt more evacuations in Hawaii

Volcanic activity resumed on the Big Island of Hawaii early Tuesday evening, causing further destruction and prompting new safety concerns in the wake of last week's eruption, authorities said.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency confirmed in a Facebook post that two new vents had opened during the day on Tuesday and were spewing hazardous gases and pouring lava into nearby neighborhoods.

Those additions mean that a total of 14 vents, also known as fissures, had opened after Thursday's eruption, the agency said.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency confirmed the new vents Tuesday afternoon, noting that at 2:30 p.m. local time the vents were "actively erupting," prompting an evacuation order of the residents in the nearby Lanipuna neighborhood.

By 7:00 p.m., the vents were "paused but continue to release hazardous gases," the agency said.

The agency reported that 104 acres are now covered in lava and a total of 36 structures had been destroyed.

Some 1,800 residents have been evacuated from the two neighborhoods where cracks have opened.

Residents in certain areas have been allowed to go back into their homes to check on their property and collect items during the day, but the agency warned that they must "be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice."

The agency added that "the county is taking care of all animals whose evacuated owners reported them left behind."