Citation

Nicole W. Environ. Health Perspect. 2022; 130(2): e22001.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

DOI

10.1289/EHP10541

PMID

35148198

Abstract

On 22 May 2021, Mount Nyiragongo spewed ash, sulfurous gases, and fiery red lava, forcing thousands of people in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)--"the city on the volcano"--to flee for their lives. Rising 3,470m above the African Rift Valley, the volcano has the largest lava lake in the world, which locals once believed held the souls of their ancestors.1,2 Nyiragongo, infamous for its fast-flowing lava,3 last had major eruptions in 1977 and 2002. Its sister volcano, Nyamuragira--13km away--erupts more regularly but is farther from the population.3

When Nyiragongo erupted last May, "I saw people with luggage running away saying that the volcano is erupting," says Guerchom Ndebo, a Congolese photojournalist and Goma resident. "In the street the people did not know which direction to take. [It was] total panic." More than 364,000 individuals fled the region,4 more than 4,000 families lost their homes,4 and at least 31 people died...

Language: en