"The Greater Disaster Approaches"... Chaos in Democratic Congo Amid Risk of Volcanic Eruption Reignition

As the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo recently showed signs of eruption risk again, about 400,000 residents of nearby Goma city have taken to evacuation.
[Photo by CNN]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] On the 22nd (local time), the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Africa, which experienced a massive eruption, has recently shown signs of another eruption risk, prompting about 400,000 residents of nearby Goma city to evacuate, foreign media reported on the 28th.

According to a report on the emergency meeting held that day, following a precautionary evacuation order issued by the North Kivu provincial government of DR Congo the previous day, approximately 80,000 households, or about 400,000 residents, evacuated from downtown Goma. Most residents headed toward Sake Town and the northeastern Rwanda border, while some crossed Lake Kivu by boat.

Due to poor road conditions, severe traffic congestion occurred, and many residents chose to carry their belongings and walk.

Authorities are reportedly providing drinking water and food supplies to tens of thousands of displaced people gathered in Sake, about 25 km west of Goma city.

On that day, nearly all shops and banks in downtown Goma were closed, and the usually bustling streets had only a few people and some motorcycle taxis.

Experts stated in the report, "The level of seismic activity and ground deformation suggest that magma exists beneath the Goma area and extends under Lake Kivu."

Volcanologists are concerned that in the worst-case scenario, if the volcano erupts beneath the lake, hundreds of thousands of tons of dissolved carbon dioxide in the deep water could be released to the surface, displacing oxygen and suffocating living organisms.

The Nyiragongo volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and erupted on the 22nd. The lava flow from the explosion stopped in the suburbs of Goma, a nearby metropolis with a population of 2 million. At that time, more than 500 houses were destroyed, and about 30 people were reported dead.

This volcano also erupted in 2002. Hundreds died, more than 100,000 people were displaced, and a significant part of Goma city, including half of the airport runway, was covered by lava.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.