Tens of thousands of people were stuck in kilometres of traffic jams, blocking the roads out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano has forced people to flee their home, in the town of Goma.
He said an evacuation of part of the city had been ordered, and urged residents to leave calmly.
“The most important thing right now is to get my family to safety. We don’t know what can happen with the volcano. We are also told that there is a probability of a gas explosion. We have to run away from all these possibilities for the moment,” says Sergees Nguru, stuck in traffic whilst fleeing Goma.
The streets in the southern part of Goma were congested, with people walking or running, carrying mattresses, sports bags or a few meager possessions in plastic bags, and holding on to frightened children.
The United Nations said some 5,000 people are feared to be homeless.
By order of the military governor of the North Kivu province, parts of the city have been evacuated
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