Photos: Congo's Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupts forcing thousands to evacuate
Thousands fled a volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the flaming lava from Mount Nyiragongo appeared to have come to a halt on the outskirts of Goma city by early May 23. The evacuations came during the night of May 22 and many families slept on pavements surrounded by their belongings under a night sky turned red by fire and fumes. By early May 23, between 5,000 and 7,000 people had arrived in neighbouring Rwanda. The last time Nyiragongo erupted was January 17, 2002, killing more than a hundred people and covering almost all of the eastern part of Goma with lava, including half of the airport's landing strip.
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Lava from the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo is seen in Buhene, on the outskirts of Goma, Congo on May 23. Congo's Mount Nyiragongo erupted for the first time in nearly two decades on May 22, turning the night sky a fiery red and sending lava onto a major highway.(Justin Kabumba / AP)
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Molten lava from the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo flows between buildings in Goma,on May 22. The molten rock, which the eruption had sent close to Goma airport on the shores of Lake Kivu, still appeared unstable but had come to a standstill in the suburbs of the eastern city, AFP reported.(Enoch David via REUTERS )
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A person attempts to douse the fire on a building after the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Goma on May 22. Around a dozen earth tremors were also felt in the early hours of the day, AFP reported.(Enoch David via REUTERS)
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A person carries a suitcase on their head as residents flee from Goma, following the Nyiragongo volcano eruption, at Petite Barriere border point in Gisenyi, Rwanda on May 23. Thousands had fled during the night and many families slept on pavements surrounded by their belongings under a night sky turned red by fire and fumes.(Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP)
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