According to the UN, more than 20,000 people are homeless and 40 still missing in the aftermath of Saturday evening’s eruption that unleashed rivers of lava flowing towards Goma in eastern DR Congo,
At least 31 people were killed while thousands were forced thousands to flee as the lava destroyed more than 3,000 homes.
The lava from Mount Nyiragongo stopped just 300 meters short of Goma airport, the main hub for aid operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement that the ash cloud caused by the eruption has closed down airports in Goma and Bukavu and is likely to cause respiratory diseases.
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People who fled their homes have lost valuable possessions including motorcycles that were either consumed by the lava flow or looted, OCHA said.
According to OCHA, a 1.7 km (1 mile) river of lava that blocked the main road north from Goma is still too hot to be removed, preventing trade and aid deliveries to one of the most food-insecure places in Africa.
More than 200 small and medium earthquakes have since caused cracks in buildings and streets in Goma, just 15 km (9 miles) from Nyiragongo.
No deaths have so far been reported, but the cracks have caused panic among residents unsure if the danger has passed.
“Yesterday it was very small, here it is just opposite my house, but today it has widened,” said Susanne Bigakura, 65. “It’s scary. We fear it can collapse and our children can fall in.”
“It scares me because those who saw the 2002 eruption told us that where a crack passes, it will be catastrophic. Now, when we see a fissure after a recent eruption, I’m worried that we are in danger,” said Valentin Kikuni, a welder.
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