A lava flow reached the airport of the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Goma early Sunday after the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano, an official said.
"The situation is deteriorating," an official from Virunga National Park — where the erupting volcano is located — said in a message to staff, which AFP was copied in on.
Congolese people carry their belongings on May 23, 2021 as they flee from Goma after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted. They are seen her at the border point known as "Petite Barriere" in Gisenyi, Rwanda.
Photo credit: Simon Wohlfahrt | AFP
"Besides the lava flow in the north east (Kibumba-Rwanda), the flow is also descending on the town. It has now reached the airport," he said.
Goma residents are seen leaving the city following a sudden activity of the Nyiragongo volcano on May 22, 2021. A lava flow reached the airport of the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Goma early Sunday.
Photo credit: Guerchom Ndebo | AFP
"The eruption of Nyiragongo is similar to the eruption in 2002," he added, asking all local residents near the airport to "evacuate without delay".
He said that at this stage, "the other districts of the city were not in danger" and the lava was unlikely to reach those areas.
Thousands of people had already left the city even before Mount Nyiragongo began spewing red smoke into the night sky, and officials activated an evacuation plan late Saturday.
A lost child sits on a curb at the border point known as "Petite Barriere" in Gisenyi, Rwanda on May 23, 2021 as Congolese people flee from Goma, DRC after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted.
Photo credit: Simon Wohlfahrt | AFP
The last time Nyiragongo erupted was January 17, 2002, killing more than a hundred people and covering almost all of the eastern part of Goma with lava, including half of the airport's landing strip.
A resident of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo flees after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted on May 22, 2021. Hundreds have fled to neighbouring Rwanda.
Photo credit: Simon Wohlfahrt | AFP
The Goma region, which lies in North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda and Uganda, has six volcanoes, all higher than 3,000 metres.
