A volcanic eruption, along with the chaos that followed, killed at least 15 people and displaced thousands of others in the eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Saturday night.
Around 150 children face separation from their parents, and 170 more are believed to be missing following the carnage left by Mount Nyiragongo, according to UNICEF.
Five thousand Goma residents crossed into Rwanda to escape the lava, while approximately 25,000 people left their homes in Sake, a city northwest of Goma. Over 500 homes have been destroyed, the Associated Press reported.
At least five of the deaths following the eruption were due to a car crash while residents were trying to evacuate.
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The military governor of the region claimed that the pyroclastic flow stopped just before reaching Goma, sparing the city, according to Al Jazeera, which reported 20 deaths as a result of the eruption. The death toll may rise as officials continue to inspect the aftermath of the eruption.
Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002, though Goma was mostly spared from the destruction.
UNICEF has set up two transit centers for “unaccompanied and separated children,” as well as chlorination plants to monitor and deter the spread of cholera among displaced and returning residents.
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The United Nations has used Goma as a hub for humanitarian and peacekeeping operations before the eruption. According to the Associated Press, regions surrounding the city have been home to militant groups that are currently battling for limited resources.
