Protesters set fire to part of an Ebola treatment center in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday after relatives of a deceased patient attempted to forcibly retrieve his body, according to CNN and local officials.
The violence erupted at Rwampara Hospital after health authorities refused to release the body of a young Ebola victim. Local politician Luc Mambele said angry family members threw projectiles at medical tents, sparking a blaze that destroyed two structures used for treatment.
An angry crowd set alight a section of a hospital at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern DRC after family and friends of a young man thought to have died from the virus were prevented from taking his body away for burial https://t.co/41weW3NCoU pic.twitter.com/35KiIk6t9X
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) May 22, 2026
The World Health Organization warned that violence and misinformation are undermining efforts to contain the outbreak, which has already caused at least 177 suspected deaths and nearly 750 suspected cases.
The report said the outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment.
Officials also raised concerns about widespread distrust among residents, with some communities reportedly believing Ebola is fake.
Meanwhile, an American doctor infected in Congo is receiving treatment in Berlin, while neighboring Uganda has tightened border restrictions following confirmed cases linked to the outbreak.
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
