A toddler could have plummeted to his death on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano if not for his mother's quick reaction, officials said.

Molten rock began shooting from the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and propelled lava 295 feet (90 meters) into the air. The red liquid formed tall fountains and then spread across 650 acres (263 hectares). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimated the lava was about 1 yard (1 meter) thick.

Kilauea volcano, on Hawaii's Big Island, started spewing fresh lava at around 02:00 local time (12:00 GMT), according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Officials say there is no immediate danger to residents as volcanic activity is currently limited to a confined area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

One of the world's most active volcanoes sprang into life again Monday, spewing columns of lava 80 meters (260 feet) above Hawaii, US vulcanologists said."At 4:30 am, lava fountains were observed with heights up to 80 meters (262 feet),

The Kilauea Volcano continues to erupt in Hawaii although its alert level has been lowered. Footage shows the magma flowing on the Halemaumau crater on December 24 which began at 2:20 am. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said its aviation colour code was downgraded from red to orange as the crater has stabilised with no immediate threats to infrastructure.

Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii Live view as lava bubbles through the crust of one of the world’s most active volcanoes — Kilauea — on Hawaii’s Big Island. The eruption is confined to the volcano’s summit caldera,

The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii continues to spew one-metre-thick lava into the air. The eruption of one of the world’s most active volcanoes has stayed within the mountain’s summit. Molten rock began shooting from the volcano at the start of the week and has now spread across 263 hectares.