By Herewald Holland and Djaffar Al Katanty
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The readings, along with earthquake, temperature and gas data, are crucial to the region’s early warning system for the nearby city of Goma, to avoid a repeat of the 2002 eruption when 250 people died and 120,000 were made homeless.
Increased volcanic activity and other indicators have experts fretting that another eruption could be on the way.
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“If we don’t do regular measurements and announce the eruption a few days beforehand, the population won’t have time to evacuate and people will die,” said Ciraba, 65, who’s devoted his life to trudging up the 3,470m cone to study its activity.
With the coffers empty, Ciraba’s team has been unable to pay for an internet connection to run remote sensors and fuel to transport researchers to the volcano.
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The OVG “lacked experience, and there were weaknesses in implementing such a grant,” the World Bank said in a statement. It added that it could not corroborate allegations of graft.
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