Spanish officials have begun evacuating passengers from a cruise ship anchored off the coast of Tenerife following a hantavirus outbreak that triggered a coordinated international response.
Health officials boarded the luxury vessel, MV Hondius, on Sunday to complete final inspections before commencing the evacuation process, according to Spain’s Health Ministry.
Spanish citizens were the first group evacuated from the ship.
The passengers were transferred in groups of five onto smaller boats before being transported ashore.
From there, they were taken by bus directly to the airport for onward travel to Madrid aboard a Spanish military aircraft.
Officials emphasised that strict health protocols were being followed throughout the operation to ensure evacuees had no interaction with the general public.
The emergency evacuation followed a request by the World Health Organisation and the European Union after the outbreak was detected while the vessel was sailing near the coast of Cape Verde.
As a precautionary measure, all passengers aboard the cruise ship have been classified as high-risk contacts.
However, European public health authorities maintained that the overall threat to the wider population remains low.
Before granting the ship permission to dock, Spain’s Health Ministry carried out health inspections aboard the vessel.
Officials confirmed that no rodents were discovered during the checks and said hygiene conditions onboard met the required standards, reducing the risk of further transmission.
Several countries have since mobilised repatriation efforts for their citizens.
Aircraft from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, United States, United Kingdom and Netherlands were deployed to assist with the evacuation, although some flights had not yet arrived by Sunday morning.
Officials stated that passengers would only be allowed to disembark once their designated evacuation flights were ready.
Dutch nationals are expected to leave next, with their evacuation aircraft also scheduled to carry passengers from Germany, Belgium and Greece.
Further evacuation flights are planned for travellers from Turkey, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The final aircraft, expected to arrive from Australia, would transport passengers from Australia, New Zealand and several Asian countries.
Spanish Health Minister Mónica García confirmed that about 30 crew members would remain aboard the vessel to sail it to the Netherlands, where comprehensive disinfection procedures will be carried out.
The operation remained under close monitoring by European and international health authorities as efforts continue to prevent any further spread of the virus.
