Ireland to give aid to Goma volcano victims

Junior Minister Liz O’Donnell has announced that Ireland will give €800,000 to aid agencies helping the victims of last week’s volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless when Mount Nyiragonga erupted on Thursday, burying 14 villages under lava.

Three lava flows have also destroyed 40% of the city of Goma, home to 500,000 people.

An unknown number of people have died since the eruption, including around 50 who died today when red-hot lava ignited a petrol station where they were trying to salvage fuel supplies.