January 10, 1977 Eruption of Nyiragongo
Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo erupted on January 10, 1977 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 1.
Where it erupted
Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- January 10, 1977
- Volcano
- Nyiragongo, stratovolcano
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 1, small (eruption column 100 m to 1 km)
- Killed by
- Lava flows
- Location
- 1.520° S, 29.250° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Extremely fluid, fast-moving lava flows draining from lava lake killed numbers variously estimated at none to 2,000 persons. Best estimate seems to be 50 to 100. Several villages destroyed. (reference #9675)
Other significant eruptions of Nyiragongo
More
Every eruption in 1977The 1900sNyiragongoEarthquakes near NyiragongoThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 7.