The Death Toll of Congo Volcanic Eruption Rises to 32

The Death Toll of Congo Volcanic Eruption Rises to 32

The death toll from the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano near the Congolese city of Goma has risen to 32.

 

Half a million people may face a shortage of drinking water due to a reservoir damaged by the eruption.

Most people died fleeing the lava flows, which swallowed several houses and filled the surrounding area with poisonous gases. Seven people died from lava and five suffocated in the gases from the molten rock. The people who suffocated walked on cooled lava.

The volcano erupted on Saturday evening. The lava stopped just before the city limits of the 2 million inhabitants of Goma. The lava wholly or partially destroyed at least seventeen villages. Aid organizations believe that at least 5,000 people have lost their homes. Several roads have been damaged.

About 25,000 people had fled the eruption. Many of them have returned to Goma. The United Nations fears a second eruption, and now it appears that during aftershocks, the volcano crater will fill with lava again on Tuesday.

Nyiragongo volcano last erupted in 2002, when 100 people died.

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