15 dead as lava pours into Congo villages after volcano erupts

Two people are seen silhouetted against a night sky turned red by the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, in Goma, Congo Saturday, May 22, 2021. Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo erupted for the first time in nearly two decades Saturday, turning the night sky a fiery red and sending lava onto a major highway as panicked residents tried to flee Goma, a city of nearly 2 million. (AP Photo/Justin Kabumba)

Torrents of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said.

The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday night sent about 5,000 people fleeing from the city of Goma across the nearby border into Rwanda, while another 25,000 sought refuge to the north west in Sake, the UN children’s agency said.