Photo shows lava covering a town in Congo after a nighttime eruption killed at least 15 people with little warning

• Mount Nyiragongo erupted in the eastern Democratic Republic Congo over the weekend.
• At least 15 people have died in the eruption after lava covered a nearby town.
• The volcano erupted with little warning, destroying hundreds of homes.

At least 15 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a volcano erupted with little warning over the weekend.

One photo from the Associated Press shows lava from Mount Nyiragongo covering the town of Buena, north of Goma, Congo.

Lava Mount Nyiragongo sent thousands of people fleeing on Saturday and Sunday, the UN's children's agency told the AP. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the eruption.

While at least 15 people are confirmed dead, local officials told AP that it's too soon to know the total death toll.

Mount Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002, in an incident that killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless, Reuters reported.