Volcano erupts in eastern Congo near the city of Goma, panicking residents

GOMA, Congo — Witnesses say a volcano has erupted in eastern Congo near the city of Goma. Residents in the city of nearly 2 million began fleeing in panic as the skies turned a fiery red Saturday evening.

The city is also close to the Nyiragongo volcano, whose last eruption in 2002 left hundreds dead and coated airport runways in lava. The governor said it had erupted again. But the Volcano Observation Office in Goma says it a different volcano, Nyamulagiram which erupted around 7 p.m. local time.

Volcanologist Honore Chiraba told The Associated Press that lava from the Nyamulagira volcano lava usually flows in the direction of Virunga National Park, not toward Goma.