Locals have been sifting through the remains of flattened houses
GOMA (DR Congo), May 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Residents in the Democratic Republic of Congo have returned to destroyed houses after a large volcano erupted, with many searching for missing loved ones.
Mount Nyiragongo turned the sky red and spewed out a river of lava on Saturday, but stopped short of Goma, a city of two million just south of the volcano.
At least 15 deaths have been confirmed, but the number is likely to rise as officials reach the hardest-hit areas.
Nine of the victims died in a traffic accident as people fled.
Four others were killed as they tried to escape a prison while two were burned to death, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said.
More than 170 children are feared to be missing and 150 others had been separated from their families, according to Unicef, which said centres would be set up to help unaccompanied minors.
The lava halted near Buhene district, on the outskirts of Goma, burying hundreds of houses and even large buildings. Reconstruction efforts are likely to take months.
Elsewhere, lava crossed one highway connecting Goma to the city of Beni, severing a key aid and supply route. However, the city’s airport was untouched, despite earlier reports that it had been affected.
But seismic tremors had been felt in the aftermath, Muyaya said. “People are advised to remain vigilant, avoid non-essential travel, and follow directions,” he tweeted.
The volcano, located 10km from Goma, last erupted in 2002, killing 250 people and making 120,000 homeless.
Residents started leaving their houses even before the government announced an evacuation plan. At night, crowds were seen fleeing on foot with mattresses and other belongings.
Rwandan authorities said more than 3,000 people had officially crossed from Goma. Some started to return on Sunday. Others went to higher ground to the west of the city.
Mount Nyiragongo is one of the world’s more active volcanoes but there were concerns that its activity had not been properly observed by the Goma Volcano Observatory, since the World Bank cut funding amid allegations of corruption.
Professor Mike Burton, a volcanologist at the University of Manchester in England, said that the lava in Mount Nyiragongo is particularly fluid and has the potential to move fast.
In a report on May 10, the observatory warned that seismic activity at Nyiragongo had increased.
Last year, the observatory’s director, Katcho Karume, said that the volcano’s lava lake had been filling up quickly, increasing the chances of an eruption in the next few years. But he also warned that an earthquake could trigger a disaster earlier.
The volcano’s deadliest eruption happened in 1977, when more than 600 people died. — NNN-AGENCIES