More than 30 victims of the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano: they died of suffocation by smoke or burned by lava

The toll of the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano, located around the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), stands at more than 30, as confirmed by the authorities of the African country .

The government delegation that went to Goma to analyze the situation on the ground indicated that the death toll stands at 30, most charred by lava or suffocated by toxic gases emitted by the volcano, as reported by the Congolese news portal Actualité.

During the day Monday, several bodies were found in the vicinity of Goma, all of those killed by gas inhalation.. “I ask the population to remain vigilant,” said the head of the Lago Verde district, Dedesi Mitima, in statements to the 7sur7 portal.

The volcanic eruption, which took place on Saturday, also caused power outages affecting 60% of the city’s population, which also faces water supply problems due to property damage from rivers of lava.

The eruption took place at a time when humanitarian needs are already high and increasing in the province of North Kivu, where 44% of the five million internally displaced people in the DRC are located and where 3.2 million people, or 33% of the population, already suffer from severe food insecurity.

On the other hand, the DRC Minister of Transport, Chérubin Okende Senga, authorized the opening of Bukavu airport, while Goma airport will remain closed until further notice and with a no-fly zone in because of the danger posed by the fumes from Nyiragongo, according to the Congolese radio station Radio Okapi.

UNITED NATIONS REACTION

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, was “saddened” and regretted the loss of human life and the damage caused by the eruption of the volcano, while the UN provides humanitarian aid.

Guterres transferred, through a press release from his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, his< plus sincères condoléances aux familles des personnes touchées ainsi qu'au Gouvernement et au peuple de la République démocratique du Congo >>.

He was also worried that “This disaster comes at a time when humanitarian needs are greater in the region, fueled by insecurity and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and socio-economic repercussions.”

In this context, the United Nations and the international community, he said, are working to support the government’s efforts to help those affected by the eruption, by providing emergency humanitarian assistance.

In addition, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has also mobilized its air assets “to monitor the situation” and is working with the authorities to ensure that “the population is kept informed of all related events” .

Dujarric reported that despite the fact that the people who fled after the eruption, the majority to Sake, North Kivu, or to Rwanda have returned, there is still seismic activity in the area. In addition, around 5,000 people lost their homes.

It is also added that the road between Rutshuru and Goma is blocked and that it is the main food supply line to Goma.

The United Nations, together with the international community, supports< la réponse du gouvernement en fournissant de l'eau, des abris, des soins de santé et le regroupement familial, ainsi que toute autre priorité dont les personnes affectées ont besoin >>, in addition to mobilizing additional supplies and support, Dujarric explained.

(with EP information)

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