Authorities in Hawaii have issued an emergency order to mobilize rescue personnel as lava from Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, could reach one of the country’s main highways connecting the east and west sides of the archipelago’s largest island.
The U.S. Geological Survey warned in one of its latest reports that the lava flow, although it has slowed significantly, is advancing northward toward the Saddle Road highway, a main road connecting the cities of Hilo and Kona, as reported Friday by NBC.
With the possibility that this road could be affected, Hawaii Governor David Ige has issued an emergency order to allow rescue services to reach the area immediately and the National Guard to act, establishing detour routes for automobiles.
Experts have said that the eruption, which began on Sunday, does not pose a risk to communities in the area, as the lava remains contained despite the opening of new fissures. According to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, there are now four fissures, although two remain inactive.
Hawaii is an archipelago of volcanic origin, so it periodically registers this type of phenomena, although in the case of Mauna Loa there are no records of a phenomenon of this level for 38 years. In 2021, the Kilauea volcano erupted.
