The city of Goma in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was on Monday on high alert after a local volcano showed signs of erupting.
Local authorities in North Kivu, including the Goma Volcanological Observatory (OVG), said that “current seismic data indicates a movement of magma at shallow depths towards the central crater of Nyamulagira”, citing the name of the local mountain.
The OVG had already announced earlier the location of what it called hybrid earthquakes in the Nyamulagira and said it feared a possible “magmatic intrusion”.
“We recommend to the people of Goma to remain calm and to go about their business freely,” OVG said.
However, it warned pilots to fly with caution while in the area, especially taking into account the wind direction when flying over the Virunga region.
OVG Director-General Adalbert Muhindo said that volcanic products such as ash and slag from the volcano can fall on inhabited areas in the crater.
In 2021, the Nyiragongo volcano erupted, forcing the people Goma to flee to the Rubavu region of Rwanda and other cities in the DRC.
An earthquake affected both Rwanda and the DRC after the volcano erupted.
In 1977 and 2002, North Kivu was also shaken by a volcanic eruption.
Source: The East African
Share this content: