Democratic Republic of the Congo reportedly set sections of an Ebola isolation facility ablaze after health authorities refused to release the body of a man believed to have died from the deadly virus.
The incident occurred at Rwampara General Hospital near Bunia in Ituri Province, regarded as the epicentre of the ongoing Ebola outbreak. According to reports, tensions erupted after relatives and supporters of the deceased attempted to retrieve his body for burial rites but were prevented from doing so by health officials.
The confrontation escalated into violence, forcing police officers to intervene. Security personnel reportedly fired warning shots as angry residents clashed with authorities at the medical facility.
Health officials have maintained that individuals who die from Ebola require controlled and supervised burials because the virus remains highly infectious even after death, making bodies capable of spreading the disease further.
Following the attack, medical workers at the hospital were placed under military protection while security agencies moved to restore order in the area.
Jean Claude Mukendi, coordinator of Ebola security response efforts in Ituri Province, said some residents continued to deny the existence of the outbreak, making containment efforts increasingly difficult.
Reports identified the deceased as a footballer known within the local community who had reportedly played for several teams in the region. His mother allegedly rejected claims that Ebola caused his death, insisting instead that he died from typhoid fever.
A local politician, Luc Malembe Malembe, blamed the unrest on misinformation and poor public awareness regarding the disease.
He stated that many residents, particularly those in remote communities, do not fully understand the situation and view Ebola as a fabricated crisis created by outsiders.
According to him, some people believe non-governmental organisations and hospitals invented the disease as a means of generating financial gain, a perception he described as tragic.
The violence also resulted in the destruction of two isolation tents, one of which reportedly contained a body awaiting burial.
Meanwhile, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner described the situation as deeply alarming for affected communities, stressing that authorities were intensifying efforts to ensure residents feel safe, informed, and heard.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently recommended “safe and dignified burials” for Ebola victims, with specially trained teams handling remains while using protective equipment to reduce transmission risks.
On Friday, WHO raised the Ebola outbreak risk level in DR Congo to “very high” nationally.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus disclosed that the country has recorded approximately 750 suspected Ebola cases and 177 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.
Mob Attacks DR Congo Ebola Isolation Facility Over Dispute on Victim’s Burial Residents in eastern
