Hawaii street swallowed by 'lava tide' as many more homes burn

Sarah Conway, left, and Matt Patrick, both from USGS Hawaiian Volcano, observe lava erupting from a fissure in the Leilani Estates near Pahoa, Hawaii. REUTERS/Marco Garcia

PAHOA, Hawaii (Reuters) - A tide of molten rock turned a Hawaii street into a volcanic wasteland on Friday as the number of homes destroyed by the erupting Kilauea volcano soared and authorities told residents to flee a surge of lava heading towards them.

The destructive fury of the erupting Kilauea volcano was unleashed on the Big Island's Leilani Estates housing development, with the number of homes and other structures destroyed leaping to 82 from a previous count of 50, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.