At least 5 people were killed in two earthquakes hitting the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) Friday. Minister of Media Lambert Mende told the media that a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit eastern DR Congo at 3:25 a.m. local time (0125 GMT), and another one measuring magnitude 5.5 hit the same area at 3:28 a.m. local time (0128 GMT), killing at least 5 persons, including 2 children.
Two children died in a house in the city and a police officer died near the airport, government spokesman Lambert Mende said. Sources in Bukavu said medical centers were treating injured people and the toll could rise slightly. There were no reports of significant damage to buildings.
The government sent a team of vulcanologists to check for any new fissures near Mount Nyiragongo, Julien Paluku, the governor of North Kivu province. The peak north of Goma is Africa’s most active volcano and erupted in 2002 sending a river of lava through the city.
The epicenter of the first earthquake was located 39 km north of Bukavu city, occurring at a shallow depth of 12 km. And the epicenter of the second earthquake was located 45 km north of Bukavu, occurring at a shallow depth of 10 km.
