A Dangerous Treasure in Lake Kivu

There is a wealth of methane trapped in a lake in the heart of Africa. Engineers hope to transform the gas from the depths of the lake into electricity, but if it escapes in an uncontrolled manner, the methane could cause a catastrophe.

Patrick Muhizi sits under an umbrella at the Bikini Tam-Tam Bar, keeping a watchful eye on the perfectly smooth surface of Lake Kivu. The sun is shining, but Muhizi blows his whistle whenever the children wander too far out into the lake. With good reason: The 19-year-old Rwandan is the manager of a beach club on the world's most dangerous lake. Kivu, in central Africa, has already swallowed three people this year, when bubbles apparently sucked the bathers down into the depths. Sometimes dead fish float to the surface.

Lake Kivu, at the foot of the Virunga Volcano Chain, lies in a groove in the earth's crust known as the East African Rift. The Congolese jungle grows rampant along its western shore and Rwanda's coffee plantations stretch along the eastern side. Activity in the tectonic faults throughout the Rift causes periodic earthquakes.