DR Congo: Observatory sights "burning light" atop a volcano, calls for calm

The volcanological observatory of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reported on Monday evening that a "glow" was observed at the top of a volcano in the region, without posing any risk to the city, affected in 2021 by the eruption of another volcano.

"From 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT), a glow was observed at the top of the Nyamulagira volcano," neighboring Nyiragongo, whose eruption in May 2021 had killed 32 people and destroyed several hundred houses in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, according to the observatory.

"Current seismicity data indicate a movement of magma at shallow depths toward the central crater" of Nyamulagira, the observatory said in a statement. "If the current activity (...) leads to an eruption on the flank, the lava would flow into the Virunga National Park".

The observatory recommends to the population of Goma, a city of more than one million inhabitants located on the Rwandan border, to "remain calm and go about their business freely".

However, it specifies that "volcanic products" such as ashes and slag "may fall back into inhabited areas" and asks in particular to respect the instructions for washing vegetables. It also recommends "to the aviators" to take into account the wind direction when flying over the Virunga region.

Unlike Nyiragongo, which directly threatens Goma in the event of an eruption, previous external eruptions of Nyamulagira have been directed into Virunga Park or towards nearby roads.