The Congolese government says it is evacuating the city of Goma of nearly 2 million people, following the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano.
A volcanic eruption turned the sky red and brought a strong smell of sulfur to the streets of Goma. Power was out in multiple locations throughout the city.
Crowds of people were grabbing their belongings and fleeing towards the country’s border with Rwanda.
Goma-based volcanologist, Dario Tedesco initially told reporters, that the city did not appear to be at risk, but later Saturday a second fracture opened in the volcano, allowing lava to flow towards Goma.
The Goma region, in DRC’s North Kivu province, has 6 active volcanoes. All of them are higher than 3,000 meters, about 9,843 feets.
The volcano last erupted in 2002, with some 250 people losing their lives and lava destroying approximately one-fifth of city, including airport runways. Hundreds of thousands were evacuated.
Source:CNN
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
