DRC Records 61 Earthquakes in a Day After Volcanic Eruption of Mount Nyiragongo
- This succeeds a volcanic eruption of the mountain on Saturday, May 22
- The earthquakes were a result of the continued collapse of the volcano's crater
- Since Saturday's eruption that killed at least 31 people, the area has experienced a series of earthquakes and tremors
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!
Seismologists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday, May 29, reported a total of 61 earthquakes in a single day around Mount Nyiragongo volcano.
Source: Getty Images
This succeeds a volcanic eruption of the mountain on Saturday, May 22, which displaced thousands of eastern city of Goma residents, which hosts over two million people.
According to a daily report by the Goma Volcanic Observatory (GVO), cited by international media outlets, the earthquakes were a result of the continued collapse of the volcano's crater.
Since Saturday's eruption that killed at least 31 people, the area has experienced a series of earthquakes and tremors as stated by the country's provincial government spokesperson.
Around 400,000 people have since fled the city with officials warning of a second eruption.
The report further warned that the lava flows may cause asphyxiation, severe burns or death.
Following the incident as previously reported, thousands of panic-stricken residents carrying mattresses and other belongings fled the city on foot, with many heading towards Rwanda.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel
According to the country's ministry in charge of emergency management, more than 3,500 Congolese had already crossed the border to Rwanda.
The ministry said those affected would be lodged in schools and places of worship.
Nyiragongo's volcano last erupted in 2002, killing 250 people and left more than 120,000 others homeless.
In other news, Briefly News reported President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday evening. He started his address reminding South Africans that it had been a while since he had addressed the nation on Covid-19.
He said that Covid-19 infections have increased over the past week. As a result, South Africa will be moving to an adjusted alert level two.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
