The first serious injury has been reported as Hawaii continues to grapple with weeks of volcanic eruptions and lava flow.

The injured man was sitting on a balcony at his home when "lava spatter" ‑ landed on him.

The spatter victim, identified only as a homeowner on Noni Farms Road, shattered his leg from his shin to his foot.

The spokeswoman for the Hawaii County Mayor says that it hit him on the shin.

She says lava spatters "can weigh as much as a refrigerator and even small pieces of spatter can kill a person.

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted at the beginning of May, and the situation for residents has steadily been worsening.

Thousands of Big Island residents who were living near the lava flows have already evacuated.

[Source: The WashingtonPost]