On his Twitter account, the foreign minister expressed his deepest condolences to the people and the government of the African nation for the loss of human lives and the material damage caused by the activity of the Nyiragongo volcano in the eastern region of the country.

Last Saturday, the mountain suddenly erupted, causing tens of thousands of people to flee, and 15 deaths have been reported so far.

According to local authorities, 17 villages were affected and there is considerable material damage, mainly in the nearby city of Goma.

On Monday the city was shaken by strong earth tremor, which made the inhabitants fearful as they began to return home, AFP reported.

The Government of the DRC sent a delegation of seven ministers, including Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani, who will make a preliminary assessment of the situation, although according to the Observatory of Volcanology of Goma, there is still uncertainty about the activity of the Nyiragongo volcano.

Such a strong eruption of the volcano, has not occurred since January 2002, when it killed 100 people.

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