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. The National Park Service said in a statement that the toddler wandered off from his family at the Kilauea Overlook and snuck past the barrier blocking onlookers from the volcano before running toward the 400-foot cliff edge.

One of the world’s most active volcanoes erupted on Monday after a three-month hiatus, spewing bright orange lava as high as 300 feet, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

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

The USGS is maintaining a yellow advisory level for this event, which means the volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest. With reports of the recent activity and new ground movement, the USGS made a note of hazardous conditions in the area, such as uneven terrain, crater wall instability, and falling rocks.

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island spewed lava on Christmas Day (December 25), keeping up its rumbling despite the alert level at the volcano being lowered.

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.

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.