Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m (11,385 ft) in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda. The main crater is about two kilometres (1 mi) wide and usually contains a lava lake.
The crater presently has two distinct cooled lava benches within the crater walls – one at about 3,175 m (10,417 ft) and a lower one at about 2,975 m (9,760 ft).
Nyiragongo's lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history. The depth of the lava lake varies considerably. A maximum elevation of the lava lake was recorded at about 3,250 m (10,660 ft) prior to the January 1977 eruption – a lake depth of about 600 m (2,000 ft). Following the January 2002 eruption, the lava lake was recorded at a low o
f about 2,600 m (8,500 ft), or 900 m (3,000 ft) below the rim. The level has gradually risen since then. Nyiragongo and nearby Nyamuragira are together responsible for 40 per cent of Africa's historical volcanic eruptions. Source: Wiki
Photo: The Guardian
2021 Eruption
On 22 May 2021, it was reported that the volcano was erupting again. Lava approached the Goma airport and moved towards the city centre of eastern Goma. It was later confirmed by the North Kivu province's military governor that the eruption was at around 17:00 GMT. A highway to Beni was cut off by lava, and authorities urged residents from the city of Goma to evacuate, causing thousands of people to leave their homes. There was also an electricity cut across large areas following the eruption. The eruption resulted in at least 30 deaths, mostly caused by car crashes in the ensuing evacuation. The volcano is monitored by a team of scientists at the Goma Volcanic Observatory (GVO). It is continuously monitored, with seismic data produced every four minutes and temperature data produced every ten minutes. Continued funding for the GVO is in doubt, as the World Bank decided in 2020 to terminate its contributions. Source : Wiki
People 'moving in all directions’
Five days after the eruption, the Governor of North Kivu ordered people in ten districts of Goma – a city of some 670,000 inhabitants – to evacuate as a precautionary measure.
As strong tremors reached up to a 4.9 magnitude on the Richter scale, there are concerns that they could cause more lava to escape from the many cracks in the mountain.
“It is not known exactly how many have now left the city, but approximately 400,000 people are potentially affected by the evacuation order”, Mr. Laerke reported, adding that “large traffic jams were observed yesterday on the main exit roads from Goma, people are moving in all directions, mostly on foot, carrying what they can, but also in cars, and on boats”. Source: UN
Photo: CNN
CCWM's Response to GOMA's Emergency
The CCWM is working on putting together a support plan which could lead to sending material & donations to help our brothers and sisters who lost everything and are now forced to leave the area without knowing where to go or who to turn to for answers. We believe that as an organization and as a community, we must do something. Let's gather our prayers, our thoughts, our resources to assist the emergency teams on the field. Please communicate your suggestions with the CCWM executive team by calling at : 1-800-404-4238