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| Situation Update No. 6 Ref.no.: VE-20100102-24396-COG
Situation Update No. 6
On 2010-01-06 at 10:13:29 [UTC]
Event: Volcano Eruption
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo Virunga Mountains Mount Nyamuragira Volcano Situation: Lava is continuing to flow from a volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nyamulagira started erupting on Sunday. It is in the Virunga National Park, which is home to 200 of the world's 720 remaining mountain gorilla. So far the lava flows have missed heavily populated areas. But local health centres have already seen a rise in the number of people suffering from cholera and diarrhoea. This is due to people drinking poisoned water, contaminated by fallout from the volcanic eruptions. The city of Goma lies just 35 miles away from the volcano. It is home to more than 600,000 people, its numbers swollen by refugees fleeing fighting between Government forces and rebels in the east. Scientists fear it will eventually be destroyed by another nearby volcano, Nyiragongo. When it last erupted in 2002, 300,000 people fled Goma, dozens were killed and thousands of homes destroyed. City officials would like to move its inhabitants to safety to two towns 30 miles to the west. But few could afford the move with little resources to help them relocate. |  | | | |
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