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SCHOOLS remained shut in eastern Congo on Monday as political leaders tried to assess how great the risk of further lava flows could be following a series of tremors.
Regional Governor, Ndima Constant ordered the school’s closure after a crisis meeting late on Sunday.
Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park, less than 20 kilometers north of Goma and near the Rwandan border erupted on Saturday.
A part of the lava flow headed toward Goma, which has a population of some two million, but stopped before it reached the city limits.
That sparked a flight from the city, however, now that people have returned because the coast seems clear, the new eruptions are once again raising worries that the danger levels could be high.
Additionally, four tourists who were already near the summit of Nyiragongo and couldn’t safely leave were escorted off the mountain on Monday.
Emmanuel Demerode, director of the park, said they would first be taken to Rumangabo, from where they would be flown to Goma.
The park contains the largest number of protected animals in Africa, including mountain gorillas, an endangered species.
Tourists’ numbers have only recently begun picking up again as the pandemic eases slightly in some parts of the world.
The lava that came forth at the weekend mostly went through part of the park, said Celestin Mahinda of the local volcanological observatory.
Nonetheless, worries remain high that flows could ultimately endanger Goma.
Mount Nyiragongo’s last eruption was in 2002 when Goma sustained heavy losses due to lava.
About 250 people died and about 120,000 lost their homes. (dpa/NAN)
– May 24, 2021 @ 12:32 GMT
Tags: Schools shut as city in eastern Congo worries about volcano eruptions
