NYIRAGONGO ERUPTION

AFRICA'S MOST DANGEROUS VOLCANO

Located near Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Nyiragongo, which erupted on Saturday May 22, is the most active volcano in Africa and is considered by specialists as one of the most dangerous.

This strato-volcano which has fascinated entire generations of volcanologists is, with Nyamuragira, one of the two volcanoes still active in the Virunga range, in this central African country. It is located in the densely populated region of Goma and poses a threat to around 1.5 million people.

Culminating at 3,470 meters, it is known to be home to the largest almost permanent lava lake in the world, the level of which rises and falls from time to time. Its dangerousness is due to the fact that its lava flows are extremely fast, being able to descend a slope at 100 km / h.

Deadly lava flows

A previous eruption, in January 1977, had been even more deadly. The lava had also reached Goma and caused the death of several hundred people (the balance sheets vary from 600 to 2,000) in the northern outskirts of the city. It is the deadliest lava flow known, as well as the largest flow (about 20 million cubic meters in half an hour).

In 1982, a new lava lake reappeared. And in 1994, when the genocide in Rwanda brought refugees into the area, a new activity in Nyiragongo had caused great concern, as nearly 800,000 people were camping between Goma and the volcano. An eruption comparable to that of 1977 would then have provoked an unprecedented catastrophe.