Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo erupted for the first time in nearly two decades Saturday, forcing thousands to flee Goma, a major city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Rwanda’s Emergency Management Ministry, around 8,000 people crossed into Rwanda from the Congo to seek refuge following the eruption. CNN reports that five people died in a car accident when they tried to evacuate, while 600 homes around Goma have been destroyed and five schools flattened.
“We are already in a total psychosis,” resident Zacharie Paluku told The Associated Press. “Everyone is afraid; people are running away. We really don’t know what to do.”
Saturday’s eruption was caused when fractures opened in the volcano’s side, causing lava flows in various directions.
The active volcano, which is about 6 miles from Goma, entered increased seismic activity two weeks ago, increasing chances of an eruption, according to the Goma Volcano Observatory, a research institute that monitors Mount Nyiragongo.
“The evacuation plan targeting the vulnerable such as the elderly and people with disabilities is under way,” said Gen. Constant Ndima, the military governor of North Kivu, the province in which Goma is located. “The lava flow has reduced, but we are continuing to assess the situation.”
Mount Nyiragongo’s last eruption, in 2002, left 250 people dead and more than 100,000 homeless.
