Why Mount Nyiragongo volcanic eruption is the most dangerous in Africa

Mount Nyiragongo erupted on Saturday, May 22, Forcing residents around the area to move to safer grounds in the West of the town and Rwanda. [Courtesy]

Mount Nyiragongo volcanic eruption is one of the most dangerous in Africa and a nightmare in waiting for those in DRC and parts of Rwanda, experts say.

This is because the lava excreted from the volcano (Mount Nyiragongo) lacks silica, a key component of volcanic lava.

According to Dr Robin George Andrews, a global science journalist, lava without much silica is remarkably fluid.

He goes on to explain that silica is a compound in lava that acts as a glue for holding the lava together. It is squashy, with a semiliquid consistency.

“That’s why today’s (May 22, 2021) eruption is seriously worrying. I’ve heard reports that lava is heading away from Goma but that roads are already being cut off as lava springs over them,” the veteran Science journalist remarked on his thread on his Twitter on Saturday.

This, he says is the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo which erupted on Saturday, May 22, evening forcing residents to evacuate the area.

Mount Nyiragongo is located approximately 10 kilometres from the city of Goma. [Courtesy]

According to the Volcanology PhD holder, Nyiragongo’s lava is fluid and can move at a speed of 60mph (97kmph).

This means that the lava movement can catch up with speeding vehicles, almost like what we see in blockbuster movies.

Besides, in the next 20million years, Dr Andrews foresees the formation of Africa’s youngest ocean from the mountainous volcano born of the East African Rift.

He explains that this could occur as a result of the stretch of land in the region being pulled apart as a result of the forces that tear the earth’s crust as was the case in the Rift Valley formation.

“CO2 (Carbon dioxide) comes out of a lot of volcanoes, but thanks to the complexities of the rifting in the region, volcanoes here often too much carbon dioxide, which has no odour, is invisible, and denser than air making it sink downslope and kill anyone engulfed by it,” he went on.

The British volcano expert recommended basic monitoring of the volcano as a precaution which he said was unattainable due to the crippled activities at the Goma Volcano Observatory.

According to him, the Observatory was formerly funded by the World Bank who cut their financial aid after allegations of embezzlement of funds emerged.

Dr Andrews says that although the situation is dire and needs immediate experts’ attention, scientists are unable to perform basic monitoring.

Residents evacuating the town of Goma to safer areas on Saturday night. [Courtesy]

Spurts of high lava burst from Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday night, forming a thick red cloud over Goma town, approximately 10kilometres away. Goma town has a population of about two million.

Residents with mattresses and their belongings were seen fleeing, presumably actioning the DRC’S government announcement asking people to move to safer grounds.

Reports by BBC indicate that lava flow had reached the city’s airport but had stopped as of Sunday morning.

People had thronged the roads headed for the Rwandan Border and higher grounds in the West.

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