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In Pictures: Thousands flee as DR Congo volcano erupts

Lava from a volcano erupting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is flowing south towards the city of Goma.

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Residents reported a strong smell of sulphur on the streets of Goma and a red glow filling the sky above the city. [Moses Sawasawa/AFP]
By News Agencies
Published On 23 May 2021

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Mount Nyiragongo has erupted for the first time in nearly two decades, sending lava sliding down the hillside towards the eastern city of Goma and forcing thousands of people to flee.

As the red glow of Mount Nyiragongo tinged the night sky above the lakeside city of about two million, Goma residents carrying mattresses and other belongings fled the city on foot on Saturday – many towards the border with Rwanda.

Nyiragongo’s last eruption in 2002 killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless in the DRC. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous.

The smoking trail of lava from the eruption appeared to have halted a few hundred metres from the city’s edge, a source told Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Rwanda’s emergency management ministry said more than 3,500 Congolese crossed the border. Rwandan state media said they would be lodged in schools and places of worship.

Volcano watchers have been worried that volcanic activity observed in the last five years at Nyiragongo mirrors that in the years preceding eruptions in 1977 and 2002.

Volcanologists at the OVG, which monitors Nyiragongo, have struggled to make basic checks on a regular basis since the World Bank cut funding amid embezzlement allegations.

There was no immediate word on any casualties, but witnesses said lava engulfed a highway that connects Goma with the city of Beni in North Kivu province. [Moses Sawasawa/AFP]
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The famous Mount Nyiragongo, near Goma, in the eastern DRC, suddenly became active on Saturday evening. Strong emanations of glowing light coming out of the crater were visible from Goma, while a smell of sulfur was perceptible in the city. [Alex Miles/AFP]
Congolese fleeing from Goma sleep with their belongings on a street after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted near the border with Rwanda. [Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP]
A building burns after the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Goma. [Reuters]
Authorities in the DRC urged residents of Goma to evacuate after the volcano overlooking the area erupted. [Guerchom Ndebo/AFP]
The red sky is seen from the border in Gisenyi, Rwanda. [Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP]
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Mount Nyiragongo’s last eruption, in 2002, left hundreds dead and coated airport runways in lava. More than 120,000 people were left homeless in the aftermath, adding to the fear in Goma on Saturday night. [Moses Sawasawa/AFP]
Smouldering ashes are seen early Sunday in Goma. [Moses Sawasawa/AFP]
A lost child sits on a curb as Congolese people flee Goma after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted at the border point known as "Petite Barriere" in Gisenyi, Rwanda. [Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP]