Guest Thinkers — September 1, 2010

No eruption at Mikeno in the Congo

Reports from earlier this week about an eruption at Mikeno in the Congo turn out to be false – but a non-volcanic landslide has killed dozens.

Erik Klemetti

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Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Following up on a report earlier this week claiming that an eruption of Mikeno produced an avalanche that killed dozens, it appears that those reports were false. Current news claims that an overflowing river on Nyiragongo in the Congo produced an avalanche on the slopes of the volcano. This avalanche killed 46 people and have wiped out at least 200 homes and UN Peacekeepers in the Congo have been helping with the recovery from the avalanche. So, it seems that the landslide was caused by heavy rains rather than any sort of volcanic eruption. Nyamuragira, next door to Nyiragongo, erupted earlier this year and both volcanoes are very active.

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