Nyiragongo continues to sputter: Goma trembles in front of Africa’s deadliest volcano | Abroad

The eruption of the 3,470 meter high Nyiragongo this weekend was, just as it was then in 2002, absolutely spectacular and, just like then, came as a surprise. In Goma, the home of 2 million people, panic struck a lot, resulting in half the migration. After all, the crater with the world’s largest lava lake is 15 km away and lava flows can easily reach speeds of 100 km per hour.

Lavastromen

This combination makes Nyiragongo Africa’s most dangerous volcano. The likelihood that devastating lava flows will claim human lives during an eruption is much greater than if its little brother, the Nyamuragira, erupted. This volcano in the Virunga Mountains is just as active, but is much further from civilization and can cause much less damage as a result.

Nevertheless, the death toll of 32 victims is not too bad, certainly compared to 19 years ago. That’s because the lava came to a standstill on the outskirts of the city, unlike in 2002, when 250 people died and 300,000 crossed the border into Rwanda.

Children

The number of victims can also increase because there are in and around Goma, where large and deep cracks in the earth have appeared, many people are missing. UNICEF has announced in a press release that it concerns 170 children alone. The United Nations (UN) children’s organization adds that the provision of clean drinking water and medical care has started in the area, where hundreds of thousands of people are without water and electricity. “That is to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as cholera.”

In addition, Goma continues to take into account new eruptions: several volcanic shocks and earthquakes were felt on Monday, one of which was 5.3 on the Richter scale. “That indicates that magma is rising,” said journalist Mélanie Gouby via twitter. “That could be a sign of more outbursts.”

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