Panic spread in Goma on Thursday, with M23 rebels steadily inching closer to the city in eastern Congo as they battle the Congolese army. Bombs were heard going off in the distant outskirts and hundreds of wounded civilians were brought in to the main hospital from nearby towns and villages.

Laden with just the possessions they can carry, thousands of displaced people have reached the outskirts of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing a rapid M23 rebel advance that has taken more territory than ever before.

The governor of Congo's North Kivu province, Maj. Gen Peter Cirimwami, has died following injuries from front-line battles as M23 rebels approach Goma. The rebel group has seized multiple towns, causing over 178,