Mount Nyiragongo: DR Congo residents flee as volcano erupts
Thousands of people have fled their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a large volcano erupted.
Fountains of high lava burst from Mount Nyiragongo into the night sky forming a thick red cloud over the town of Goma, which has a population of two million.
The lava flow reached the city’s airport but has reportedly now stopped.
The volcano, located 10km (six miles) from Goma, last erupted in 2002 killing 250 people and making 120,000 homeless.
During the early hours of Sunday, many residents headed across the nearby Rwandan border, while others went to higher grounds to the west of the city.
Crowds were seen with mattresses and other belongings, fleeing even before the government’s announcement, which came several hours after the eruption started.
Rwandan authorities said about 3,000 people had officially crossed from Goma. The country’s state media said they would be accommodated in schools and places of worship.
One Goma resident, Richard Bahati, said he was in his house when he heard screaming. “I got out and saw the sky was red. I am so worried, so worried. I lived through the problem with this volcano in 2002. The volcano devastated all our homes and possessions. That’s why I’m scared again this time.”
“Everyone is afraid, people are running away. We really don’t know what to do,” local man Zacharie Paluku told the Associated Press news agency.