Thread by @InsiderIntl

Thousands have fled the city of Goma in eastern Congo after a volcano erupted and hundreds of earthquakes followed.

These are the apocalyptic scenes on the ground as officials say more eruptions and earthquakes are possible.

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It was around 4 p.m. on Sat, May 22, when Dr. Gédéon Batibonda Batubu noticed a frenetic scene outside of his medical clinic.

Villagers from the foothills of volcano Mount Nyiragongo were fleeing what they thought was a forest fire.

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An hour later, the fiery glow had appeared in the sky and the foot traffic, along with packed motos and cars, had picked up. Explosions could be seen in the distance.

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Mount Nyiragongo was erupting, for the second time in less than 20 years, and was about to lay waste to one of the poorest places on earth.

As tens of thousands rushed to safety, the only two remaining roads to exit the city were jammed with traffic.

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But while many chose to evacuate, others stayed – including Dr. Batibonda.

"This is the moment when people have the most need for assistance, in one way or another, and the little that we could deliver, we will."

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Over 30 new patients came in that evening, suffering from either injuries sustained in traffic accidents or respiratory problems.

At around 3 in the morning, the flow of lava stopped just 50 feet from the front gate of Dr. Batibonda's clinic.

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Despite fears of a worsening situation, by Sunday evening, many of those who had fled had already returned to Goma.

If the lava had spared their homes, abandoning them could leave them vulnerable to looters.

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Since the initial eruption on Saturday, there have been hundreds of earthquakes.

Multiple cracks have appeared in the ground, some extending for hundreds of meters and even splintering some of Goma's main roads.

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As of Wednesday, at least 37 people had died, either from exposure to the lava or gases or in accidents, according to the gov't and U.N. officials.

939 children had arrived at reunification centers after being separated from their families, UNICEF said.

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By Thursday morning, the U.N. was in the process of relocating 250 nonessential staff and 1200 of their dependents.

Dr. Batibonda and his family were in an area under a mandatory evacuation order but they're facing the enormous blockade of traffic.

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