Volcanic Lava Attacks Congo: Abandoned Goma Airport Becomes a Playground for Children

▲ An unmanaged and unused Goma Airport has become a playground for local kids. (Photo / fromDaily Mail)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Volcanic eruptions often leave many families shattered and homeless. The 2002 eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo left 500,000 people displaced, over 100,000 of whom were residents of Goma. The volcano also struck Goma’s vital transportation hub — Goma Airport. The now-abandoned Goma Airport has since become a playground for local children.

According to the BritishDaily Mail, a series of photos taken by New York photographer Christopher Michael Brown show that Goma Airport in Goma City, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has now become a playground for street children. Back then, lava from the volcanic eruption covered the entire airport, making it difficult even for other countries to airlift relief supplies.

Guided by children living at the airport, Brown visited the site and learned that the kids sold aircraft parts at nearby markets to make a living. Brown said, “Photography used to be prohibited here. But around mid-December 2012 was an exception — the place was unattended back then.”

Goma is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu in eastern Congo, bordering Gisenyi in Rwanda. It lies just 13 to 18 kilometers from the crater of Mount Nyiragongo. In January 2002, when the volcano erupted, 400,000 residents of Goma fled to Gisenyi in Rwanda for safety. The northern end of Goma Airport’s runway was also covered by volcanic lava. Since then, the airport has never been reopened.

Italian seismologist Dario Tedesco, who conducted research on Mount Nyiragongo with funding from the European Union, stated there is no doubt the volcano will erupt again. He told National Geographic magazine, “Goma is the most dangerous city in the world.”