The eruption of a volcano on Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has left thousands destitute and, as far as it’s known, at least 15 dead.
Congo volcano: What’s the total death toll?
As reported by Al Jazeera, thousands of villagers from Goma were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring Rwanda and Sake after torrents of lava poured into communities, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
From the latest information from the United Nations’ Children’s Agency (UNCA), the Congo volcano that erupted on Saturday evening has claimed at least 15 lives and destroyed more than 500 homes.
Here’s footage of the lava as it made its way towards eastern DRC.
RelatedPosts
Over 3,500 Congolese citizens flee to Rubavu, Rwanda, after the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Goma, DR Congo.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) May 23, 2021
The 3,000m high volcano erupted in 1977, killing over 600 people.
It also erupted in 2002, killing 250 people, displacing over 1,000. pic.twitter.com/ZKCScyyNHv
Mount Nyiragongo volcanic history
This is the third time in 44 years Mount Nyiragongo’s volcano has erupted. In 1977, the ferocious lava killed more than 600 people. In 2002, it claimed more than 250 lives and displaced more than a thousand Goma locals.
At this time, it is still a bit early to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the Congo volcano. Hundreds of families have yet to reunited with displaced loved ones.
A woman, Beatrice Katungu, told the cited publication that her husband and eight of their 10 children are still nowhere to be found.
“I don’t know what happened and if they were burned by the lava because the eruption occurred in the evening. Some people returned to their homes on Sunday morning but unfortunately, my family hasn’t,” the 47-year-old mother revealed.
At the time this article was published, DRC’s government had not released the final death toll statistics of the Congo volcano.
