A massive explosion fueled by molten lava killed another 100 Congolese citizens in the city of Goma last Monday. The explosion occurred when lava ignited the fuel tanks of a local gas station. A looter accidentally spilled gas from a plastic container into a patch of molten rock, causing a massive explosion.

Witnesses said many people had been pouring gasoline from storage drums into makeshift containers and plastic jugs in order to sell it.

“We were just trying to get enough money to eat,” said Jacques Barhishindi, a friend of one of the victims.

The explosion marked only the latest disaster related to the January 19th eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. Three resulting lava flows killed 40 and the destroyed 40% of the city.

More than 350,000 initially fled into neighboring Rwanda to escape the crisis. Now most have returned and begun to rebuild, despite the threat of starvation and a potential cholera outbreak, as well as countless other shortages and alleged abuses by the rebel RCD government.

“The RCD are not exactly the perfect partners,” an aid worker said. Various sources have made allegations of RCD involvement with incidents of rape, robbery, and sniping of looters.

“There is no food, no water, no sanitation,” said one refugee, Richard Mwambo. “We are here like animals. We’re afraid of dying.”

The UN has organized aid efforts to combat the shortages, but natives and aid workers have criticized international relief efforts as sluggish and inadequate. Because of safety concerns, food distribution in Goma began only last Thursday, a week after the eruption. Two camps in Rwanda attracted only a few thousand people, most of whom left after a few days.