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There is a possibility that some residents could have died in the disaster, officials said. Up to a dozen people decided to stay even after the area was evacuated.

Photos: New eruptions from Hawaii volcano create more lava destruction

The area contains a mix of vacation rental properties and year-round residences, The Associated Press reported. Lava has completely filled the nearby Kapoho Bay and inundated much of Vacationland, according to the AP.

The explosion, which took place around 4:30 a.m. local time, spewed ash nearly a mile into the air and sparked a 5.5 magnitude earthquake, according to the USGS.

\"PHOTO:
USGS via AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: Fumes and lava flow from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island towards the ocean in an image taken from a helicopter on June 3, 2018.
>

Before this morning's explosion, more than 100 structures had been destroyed since the first eruption a month ago.

The volcano's valve is open, and the volcano is going through \"a cycle of deflation,\" Wendy Stovall of the U.S. Geological Survey told ABC News.

\"PHOTO:
Terray Sylvester/Reuters
PHOTO: Lava destroys homes in the Kapoho area, east of Pahoa, during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, June 5, 2018.
>

More eruptions like the one that occurred today are possible in the coming months as the deflation process continues, Cindi Preller, geologist and duty scientist at the Oahu office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told ABC News.

ABC News' William Carr and M.L. Nestel contributed to this report.

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