At least seven people have died in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after inhaling gas emitted from cooling lava of volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, Radio Okapi reported on Monday evening.

The seven  people, who were found dead on Monday morning, were asphyxiated by gas emitting from lava stones. They were found in different parts of the region of Kibati, in North Kivu Province.

Local civil society reportedly said those who died were walking over cooling lava to rejoin their relatives.

Mambo Kawaya, president of the civil society in the region, reportedly asked provincial authorities and scienists to take urgent measures in order to avoid the worst from happening.

At least 15 people died following the eruption, with nine of them dying in a traffic accident, four were killed trying to escape prison and two charred by lava, Radio Okapi reported on Monday.

A security meeting convened Sunday in Goma evaluated the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after the eruption of Nyiragongo volcano.

Among the urgent actions to be carried out is the assessment of the situation in the hospitals which received the evacuated patients.

Dangerous gases that are released by volcanic eruptions include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide.