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Thousands of residents fled Goma in panic, leaving hundreds homeless.
The continuing earthquake shook the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and turbulent families were still struggling in the weekend’s volcanic eruption, which destroyed nearby villages, displaced thousands of people and killed at least 20 people.
Nyiragongo Mountain, one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world, erupted on Saturday night, sending out a sultry wall of lava from the city 2 million miles down, sloping down half a mile.
The lava flow stopped less than a few hundred meters from the city, but on the way destroyed a dozen villages, blocked the main road to the town, and cut off the main electricity supply.
Due to the violent aftershocks that lasted all night, people in the Goma area were still worried until Monday morning.
A resident told Agence France-Presse: “They keep reproducing and come at any time.” He described the aftershocks as “very worrying”.
When Nyiragongo erupted, thousands of residents fled the city due to panic-some 7,000 of them fled to neighboring Rwanda. Officials said 17 villages in the fringe area of the city suffered severe damage.
At the same time, five people were killed by toxic smoke due to the eruption on Monday.
Civil society leader Mambo Kawaya told AFP: “We have just found five people dead,” and they were “suffocated by natural gas” as they tried to cross the cooling lava about 13 kilometers (8 miles) north of Goma. .
Cavaya said that the sixth person was in a “critical state of breathing difficulties and has been taken to the hospital.”
Authorities said that during the emergency evacuation, nine people were killed in the accident, and four prisoners were killed while trying to escape in close combat. Two people were found burned to death.
Agence France-Presse reported that the last large-scale eruption of Nyiragongo was in 2002, killing about 100 people.
Hundreds homeless
By Monday, the blackened solidified lava was still hot and smoking, and despite the danger of inhaling toxic fumes, dozens of people still came out to inspect it and even walk on it.
The volcano appears calm on the horizon, and the usual smoke rises from the crater.
A government delegation arrived from Kinshasa earlier on Monday, and President Felix Tshisekedi shortened a trip to Europe to monitor aid operations.
After the lava destroyed their houses, hundreds of people spent Monday night on the street.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya warned on Sunday that the price of food and other necessities in Goma would rise as the eruption cut the hundreds of meters to Butembo, the region’s main trade route.
Although businesses and gas stations have reopened, schools are still closed and students are told to stay at home.
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