A highly active volcano in eastern Congo called Mount Nyiragongo erupted on the night of May 22. The volcano turned the night sky fiery red and sending lava onto a major highway as panicked residents tried to flee Goma city. The volcano erupted for the first time in nearly two decades. The Mount Nyiragongo active volcano is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu. The last time a major Nyiragongo eruption occurred was in 2002, when around 250 people were killed and 120,000 were left without homes, as lava flows destroyed about 20 per cent of Goma.