Mount Nyiragongo volcanic eruption at Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) district of Goma

At least 119 earthquakes were recorded on Monday in the region of Goma, capital of the north-eastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after the nearby Nyiragongo volcano erupted on Saturday, according to the Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG) late Tuesday.

The scale of the earthquakes is gradually decreasing, said Kasereka Mahinda, head of scientific research at OVG.

“The intensity is starting to decrease,” he said, warning that the earthquakes could still cause damage.

Mahinda’s remarks were posted by DRC’s ministry of communication and media on the Twitter account.

“These are not magmatic earthquakes,” he noted. Magmatic earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma within the volcano, which indicates that the volcano is active and maybe preparing for an eruption.

The eruption of the volcano was reported on Saturday night on the outskirts of Goma, capital of North Kivu Province.

According to local authorities, the death toll rose to 32, while about 2,000 households have been destroyed.

Seismic movements, some of high intensity, are still noticeable in the area, causing cracks in local residences.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday morning in the Rwandan district of Rubavu, bordering the DRC, fueling concerns about a new eruption. (Xinhua/NAN)