The Lake That Could Explode
Beneath the calm water of Lake Kivu lie billions of cubic metres of dissolved gas. Scientists watch it closely.
What was reported
Lake Kivu lies between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and around two million people live along its shores. Its deep water holds huge amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane, rising from volcanic rock below and made by bacteria in the depths.
Local people have long talked of places on the lake where animals and people collapsed, and of water that seemed to boil. In 1986, at Lake Nyos in Cameroon, a smaller lake of the same kind suddenly released its gas and killed about 1,700 people nearby.
Explanations offered
Kivu's layers keep the gas trapped for now, but scientists worry an earthquake or volcanic eruption could set off a release. Since 2015, a power plant on the Rwandan side has been extracting methane from the deep water to make electricity, which also slowly lowers the risk.
- When
- Discovered in the 20th century
- Where
- Rubavu, Western Province, Rwanda
- Witnesses
- Scientists, and people living around the lake
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.