Gases trapped under sufrace of Lake Kivu in eastern Congo could explode any day, threatening thousands of people.

Saturday 29th August 2009
Lake Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Gases trapped below the surface of Lake Kivu in eastern Congo could explode any day, threatening the lives of tens of thousands of locals, the environment minister of Democratic Republic of Congo warned on Tuesday. Researchers have discovered a high concentration of gas in the relatively shallow Gulf of Kabuno, in the lake's northwest corner. "The risk of explosion is imminent," Jose Endundo said. There is an estimated three cubic kilometres of carbon dioxide located 12 metres below the surface of the gulf, which sits on a tectonic fault. Scientists fear an earthquake or large lava flow from a nearby Nyiragongo or Nyamuragira volcanoes could create a release of gas, creating a deadly cloud. An eruption of some 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 that had been trapped under Lake Nyos in isolated northwestern Cameroon killed around 1,700 people in 1986. Several large villages lie on the shores of the Gulf of Kabuno, and the city of Goma, with a population of around 1 million, is located around 20 km to the east.

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