“Lava bomb” flies through roof of Hawaii tour boat, injuring 23

Nearly two dozen people were injured after what officials described as a “lava bomb” ripped through the roof of a tour boat in Hawaii, authorities said Monday. The Hawaii County Fire Department said a female passenger suffered a broken leg, two others were hospitalized in stable condition and 9 others experienced “superficial” injuries.

The basketball-sized lava bomb punctured the boat’s roof and debris from the explosion littered the floor of the vessel, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said on Facebook. The agency said 23 passengers on the boat tour at the time were hurt.

The tour boat returned to Wailoa Harbor in Hilo around 7 a.m. Monday, the fire department said. The explosion left a large hole in the boat’s roof and damaged at least one railing. The department said the exact location and time of the incident is currently unclear.

The explosion was caused in part by ongoing eruptions from the Kilauea volcano, CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB reports. It began erupting in May and has destroyed more than 700 homes.