Five people were found suffocated to death on toxic fumes from the volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s volcano Nyiragongo on Monday, when strong aftershocks shook the city of Goma.
The death toll is 20 the number killed since Africa’s most active volcano erupted on Saturday, spewing red-hot melted lava that engulfed houses in its wake. “We have just discovered five dead people,” civilian leader Mambo Kawaya told Agence France-Presse (AFP), saying they were “suffocated by the gas” as they tried to cross the cooling lava about 13 kilometers north. of Goma.
A sixth person is in a “critical condition with difficulty breathing and has been taken to hospital,” Kawaya said.
Goma, a city of about 1.5 million people in the shadow of the volcano and on Lake Kivu, was on its way as violent aftershocks continued throughout the night and until Monday.
“They multiply and they come at any time,” a resident told AFP, describing the aftershocks as “very disturbing and that the night was long – there is fear in our stomachs,” she said. Several strong aftershocks were also felt in nearby Rwanda on Monday, including a 5.1 magnitude earthquake under Lake Kivu in the Rubavu district at 8:37 GMT, the Rwanda Seismic Monitor (RSM) said.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 followed at 11:53 GMT, RSM said on Twitter, adding that the quakes “were caused by vibrations generated by the movement of magma in the volcano.” Tens of thousands of residents fled the city in panic – about 7,000 of them to Rwanda – when Nyiragongo began erupting on Saturday night.
Along with the five people found dead on Monday, at least 15 others have died, although most were not killed directly by the outbreak. Authorities said nine people died in accidents during the evacuation, while four prisoners were killed while trying to escape in close combat. Two people were found burnt to death. Officials said 17 villages on the outskirts of the city had suffered major damage.
Schools closed, power outages
While the lava river stopped at the edge of Goma and many residents have returned, every aftershock took troubled residents back to the streets on Monday.
“We just had a big aftershock – I’m afraid to stay in my office,” said a resident who only gave his name as Deborah, an employee of an international organization, who can be reached by phone. “I wonder if I should stay or go home. Elen has left,” she said.
Schools are still closed with students being asked to stay at home, even though businesses and gas stations were open again. Nyiragongo’s last major eruption, in 2002, claimed about 100 lives.
Hundreds of homeless people
On Monday, the black solidified lava was still hot and smoky, with dozens of people appearing to inspect it or even walk on it, despite the risk of inhaling toxic fumes. The volcano seemed calm on the horizon, with the usual smoke rising from the crater.
A government delegation of seven ministers arrived from Kinshasa early Monday, while President Felix Tshisekedi has suspended a European tour to monitor the aid operation. Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said on his arrival in Goma that the delegation was set to organize support for people who became homeless after the outbreak after “assessing the situation.” Hundreds of people spent Monday night on the street after the lava destroyed their homes.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya warned on Sunday that food and other essentials prices would rise in Goma as the eruption cut off several hundred meters from the road to Butembo, the region’s main trade route. After participating in the UN reconnaissance flight over Nyiragongo, volcanologist Kasereka Mahinda said it was uncertain why the aftershocks continued and whether the volcano’s lack of activity was clear.
“Because of the fog, we could not see the inside of the crater,” said Mahinda, scientific director of the Goma Volcanology Observatory. “If there is lava in the crater, the crack caused by the earth’s motion would represent new activity,” he said. “If there is no lava in the crater, then these earthquakes occur because the earth is rebuilding its balance.”
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