Kathmandu, June 9. Mount Nyiragongo near the Goma city of eastern Congo exploded on May 22. The nearby areas also recorded more than 100 minor earthquakes.The fear of another eruption forced at least 4,00,000 residents to leave the area and seek asylum in neighboring Rwanda.

Half a month past the disaster, the provincial government is now helping displaced residents to return home. However, the majority of the displaced population are hesitating to return back.

A displaced resident told Africanews, “They are asking us to go back, I don’t have anywhere to go back to, I wonder where I should go back to with the children, I don’t have an answer.”

Media reports suggest that the residents are frustrated due to the slow emergency response of the authorities.

Shortly after the disaster, United Nations’ radio station, Okapi reported that the Mount Nyiragongo volcano was not monitored in the past seven months. According to the on-air report, the World Bank stopped funding a year ago, due to which Goma’s volcano observatory(OVG) could not keep an eye on the dynamics of the volcano.

The residents of the Buhane district demanded the immediate resignation of the observatory team, for not giving any warnings prior to the disaster.

The Disaster

Mount Nyiragongo near the Goma city of eastern Congo exploded on the evening of May 22. As the lava approached the city, the government urged the residents for immediate evacuation. A major section of the population fled on foot, carrying mattresses and belongings. Most of them rushed towards the Rwanda border, 3 kilometers from Goma.

Mount Nyiragongo

10 kilometers north of Goma city, lies one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes of the world. Experts suggest that the explosion of Nyiragongo is similar to its previous eruption that occurred 19 years ago.

In 2002, the Nyiragongo eruption destroyed one-fifth of Goma city, killed at least 250 people, and left 120,000 homeless.