Congo: People click selfies in front of Mount Nyiragongo as it continues to erupt

Three days after Mount Nyiragongo erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo causing death and destruction, the internet is stirred with ‘selfies’ that people took amidst the lava outpour. Since the explosion, more than 500 homes have been obliterated, about 15 people have lost their lives while thousands have fled. However, there were many residents who were caught clicking the pictures and filming videos amidst a seemingly fiery red background and as people lost their entire neighbourhoods. 

170 children missing

According to the Associated Press, Mount Nyiragongo erupted late on May 22, sending 5,000 people fleeing from the city of Goma across the nearby border into Rwanda. Another 25,000 people sought refuge in the northwest in Sake following the explosion. Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that more than 170 children are still missing following the disaster.

Early Sunday, the hot molten volcanic outburst reached the city's airport. An official at Virunga National Park expressed concerns as he dubbed the situation as “deteriorating”. Speaking to The Associated Press news agency, a resident fleeing the scene, Zacharie Paluku said, “We are already in a total psychosis, Everyone is afraid; people are running away. We really don’t know what to do.” 

DR Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo has erupted for the first time in nearly 2 decades early Saturday. The volcano had long been dormant but on May 22, the hot red molten lava shot up in the sky turning the horizon into crimson red, as local inhabitants panicked and fled for their lives. The hot lava had flown into the highway connecting Goma, where an estimated 2 million reside, with the city of Beni in North Kivu province, according to the visuals of the volcanic eruption. The DR Congo government activated an emergency evacuation plan in course of residents fleeing on foot trying to cross the Rwandan border anxious and fear-stricken for their lives. 

All Images: AP