Spain's health minister says evacuation from hantavirus-hit ship to run into Monday

Spain has begun a phased evacuation of passengers from a cruise ship near Tenerife following a hantavirus outbreak, with different nationalities being disembarked in stages. The operation is expected to continue through Monday afternoon as authorities coordinate safe departures.

Reuters

10 May 2026 at 07:56:20

Spain's health minister says evacuation from hantavirus-hit ship to run into Monday

The cruise ship MV Hondius at the port of Granadilla de Abona, after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026.

Hannah McKay/Reuters

The evacuation process of passengers from the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak anchored near Tenerife is due to begin shortly and will take until Monday afternoon local time, Spain's health minister said on Sunday.

Spaniards will disembark first as planned followed by passengers from the Netherlands, whose plane will also transport passengers from Germany, Belgium, and Greece. After that, passengers from Turkey, France, Great Britain and the United States will be evacuated, the minister added, speaking to reporters at the port of Tenerife.

-Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Corina Pons, editing by Aislinn Laing/Reuters