DR Congo orders partial evacuation of Goma over fears of 2nd volcano eruption

Thousands of people have fled the Congolese city of Goma after officials said magma under the city could cause volcano Nyiragongo to erupt for a second time and ordered parts of the city to evacuate.

At least 5,000 people are feared to have been made homeless by the volcano's eruption Guerchom Ndebo AFP

"Right now we can't rule out an eruption on land or under the lake (Kivu), which could happen very soon and without warning," local military governor General Constant Ndima Kongba told media justifying the decision to order the evacuation of part of Goma. 

On Thursday morning thousands of people left the town by car, motorbike and on foot, with huge bundles of possessions on their heads, creating traffic jams across the city. Many others left on large boats across the lake that abuts the city of 2 million.

Dozens of people were seen trying to board boats at the port, in videos shared on social media.

#Volcan_Goma : Déplacement massif de la population vers les zones à risque zéro #goma #NyiragongoEruption pic.twitter.com/fxZUDuHctb

— www.kis24.info (@Kis24Info) May 27, 2021

Data on seismic and ground deformation suggested the presence of magma - the molten rock which normally stays beneath the earth's crust - under Goma, extending under Lake Kivu, Kongba added.

Thousands missing

More than 20,000 people are homeless and 40 still missing following Saturday evening's eruption, which sent rivers of lava flowing toward Goma, killing at least 31 and destroying more than 3,000 homes, according to the United Nations.

The lava from Mount Nyiragongo stopped just 300 metres short of Goma airport, the main hub for aid operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Toxic gas, child protection top priorities after DR Congo volcano eruption

The city has been rocked by hundreds of earthquakes and seen large cracks appear in the earth in the days following the eruption.

Ten neighbourhoods in the east of the city, which lay in the path of lava from the previous eruption in 2002, needed to evacuate to Sake, another lakeside town around 21km northwest, Kongba said.

"Evacuation is compulsory, those who do not adhere swiftly are taking unnecessary risks. Returning home can only take place on the recommendation of the provincial authority."

Escalating humanitarian needs

On Wednesday the UN said it was temporarily relocating around 250 non-essential staff and around 1,500 of their dependents to the city of Bukavu, around 50 km south.

"If we thought there was going to be an imminent explosion in Goma I wouldn’t be sitting here calmly. We don’t have any data to show there’s a major risk for the city," said Diego Zorrilla, the UN's deputy humanitarian coordinator in Congo.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which has been working in DRC since 1996, expressed its concern about the continued risks.

"The situation remains highly unpredictable as several warning signs emerge of the risk of a new eruption in the next few days, including multiple cracks on the ground, emission of gas and the worrying fact that the Kivu crater seems to have refilled very quickly, indicating another possible eruption," said Borry Jatta, IRC's director in DRC.

The IRC is preparing a response to meet the "escalating humanitarian needs" as families are separated and "more than 170 children are still feared missing".

(with Agencies)