Nyiragongo volcano erupts in Congo, triggering evacuation as panicked residents scramble to flee to Rwanda

Nyiragongo volcano erupts in Congo, triggering evacuation as panicked residents scramble to flee to Rwanda (VIDEOS)

RT

Mount Nyiragongo near the Congolese city of Goma has erupted, sending flames into the sky and spreading a strong smell of sulfur in the vicinity. The government has activated an evacuation plan for the city.

The volcano began erupting around 7:00 pm local time on Saturday. Footage shared online shows Nyiragongo spitting smoke and fire into the air, turning the night skies red.

The Mount is located some 10 km (6 miles) north of Goma, a city of some 670,000 people, which in turn is only 1 km (0.6 mi) away from the Rwandan border.

The eruption has caused massive panic among the residents, who rushed to flee to safety to neighbouring Rwanda, many of them on foot. Videos and photos show residents, including small kids, march purportedly towards the border together with their belongings.

School, churches and other facilities will house those fleeing the calamity, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) said.

There have been reports of lava rapidly moving toward the city, and that lava flows were about to reach the Goma International Airport.

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