Volcano town looters raid UN complex

Thieves broke into United Nations offices in Congo's volcano-stricken t own of Goma and removed electronic goods from buildings cut off from the rest of the port by lava, a spokesman said today.

"Our office in Goma was robbed overnight. Computers, laser printers and a photocopier were stolen, " said Paul Stromberg of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"It's on the western side of Goma and our staff went there this morning by boat to get around the lava."

The vast river of magma that began flowing from Nyiragongo volcano on Thursday cut the lakeside port in two, limiting access to western neighbourhoods-Sources for the UN said offices of several of its other agencies in Goma had also been robbed. There was no immediate official confirmation of the claims.

Hundreds of thousands of Goma residents, who fled the tide of molten rock on Thursday, returned home over the weekend, picking their way undeterred over stillsteaming lava.

Yesterday, looters set off an explosion at a petrol station when fuel from one of the barrels they were robbing made contact with the lava. Witnesses said the blast may have killed dozens of people.