The UN's children's agency, Unicef, says it has rescued 530 missing children who were separated from their parents in the wake of Saturday's volcanic eruption in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Around 500 houses were flattened after Mount Nyiragongo, which lies just north of Goma, erupted.

"We managed to find about 530 children who separated from their families and fortunately we have been able to facilitate reunification of 360 children back with their parents," Unicef chief field officer in Goma Jean Metenier told the BBC's Newsday programme.

He said there was panic when the eruption started on Saturday night and about 25,000 people moved out of areas that were most affected.

Copyright: AFP

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