First Passengers Evacuated In Hazmat Suits From ‘Deadly’ Hantavirus Cruise Ship MV Hondius | WATCH

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:10]A full-scale international emergency operation is now unfolding off the coast of Tenerife as passengers trapped aboard the Hanta virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hamdiyah are finally being evacuated in hazmat-style protective gear after days of growing panic. The first passengers were ferried off the Dutch Expedition cruise vessel early Sunday morning in small launch boats as Spanish health officials, the World Health Organization, and multiple governments coordinated what authorities are now describing as an unprecedented health crisis involving passengers from more than 20 countries. The dramatic evacuation comes after a deadly Hanta virus outbreak linked to the ship left three people dead and several others infected triggering global concern about the dangerous Andes strain of the virus.

[00:01:05]Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed the evacuation process had officially begun at Tenerife's port of Granadilla where the MV Hamdiyah remains anchored offshore. Images emerging from the scene showed passengers dressed in blue protective scrubs and face masks as they disembarked from the vessel before being transferred onto sealed buses heading toward Tenerife's South Airport.

[00:01:28]According to Spanish authorities, the first passengers evacuated were Spanish nationals who were flown to Madrid aboard military aircraft for further medical monitoring and quarantine.

[00:01:39]French, Canadian, Dutch, British, American, and Australian nationals are also being evacuated in carefully coordinated stages. Health officials stress that all passengers currently on board are asymptomatic, but authorities are still carrying out testing before allowing anyone to leave the quarantine operation.

[00:02:03]World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus personally addressed the unfolding crisis from Tenerife, confirming the evacuation effort was going very well. The WHO has identified the dangerous Andes strain of Hantavirus as the virus connected to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Andes strain can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a potentially deadly respiratory disease capable of triggering severe lung complications. Unlike most Hantaviruses, the Andes strain has also raised alarm because experts say it may rarely spread between humans, not just through infected rodent droppings and contaminated surfaces. Investigators believe the outbreak may have begun after a Dutch couple traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the vessel. The World Health Organization says the couple visited areas known for rodent populations carrying the virus. The crisis has become especially serious for British passengers on board. According to the UK Health Security Agency, all British nationals returning from the ship will face strict monitoring and isolation measures once back in the United Kingdom. 20 British nationals from the MV Hondius are reportedly expected to fly home from Tenerife before being transferred directly to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, the same facility used during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to quarantine British evacuees from Wuhan. The UKHSA says passengers could remain under isolation protocols for up to 45 days because Hantavirus symptoms may take weeks to appear after exposure.

[00:03:48]Officials insist the overall risk to the British public remains very low, but monitoring will continue aggressively.

[00:03:55]The situation has already revived memories of the COVID era online with social media users comparing the Aero Park quarantine plans to the height of pandemic restrictions. Meanwhile, the outbreak has now stretched far beyond Tenerife itself. A specialist British Army medical response team has reportedly parachuted into Tristan da Cunha, Britain's most remote overseas territory, after a British passenger with suspected hantavirus symptoms reportedly disembarked there earlier.

[00:04:25]According to the Ministry of Defense, six British paratroopers and two military clinicians were deployed from an RAF A400M aircraft carrying oxygen supplies and emergency medical equipment. Tristan da Cunha, located deep in the South Atlantic Ocean, has no airport and is accessible only by sea, making emergency response operations extremely difficult. The dramatic military deployment highlights just how seriously British authorities are now treating the possible spread of the virus. Spanish authorities are now carrying out one of the largest international cruise repatriation efforts in recent years. Monica Garcia confirmed that evacuation flights are being organized country by country in a tightly controlled sequence. After Spanish nationals, Dutch operated flights will evacuate passengers from countries including Germany, Belgium, and Greece. Turkish, French, British, and American flights will follow afterward, while Australia is reportedly dispatching its own aircraft expected to arrive later for Australian and nearby regional passengers. Passengers testing negative and showing no symptoms are being allowed to board chartered flights directly from Tenerife South Airport after clearing health evaluations.

[00:05:40]Officials say all repatriation flights are expected to be completed by tomorrow. The MV Hondius itself will not immediately end its journey after passengers leave. Spanish officials confirmed that around 30 crew members will remain on board the vessel as it sails onward to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Before departure, the ship will reportedly undergo refueling operations at the port of Granadilla.

[00:06:04]Once it reaches Rotterdam, the vessel will be fully disinfected as part of a major containment and sanitation operation. Ocean Wide Expeditions, the operator of the ship, has insisted no current passengers or crew are showing active symptoms, but the company continues facing mounting scrutiny over how the outbreak unfolded aboard the expedition cruise. The outbreak has already become one of the most alarming cruise ship health emergencies since the COVID pandemic. The World Health Organization confirmed Friday that eight people connected to the outbreak have fallen ill, including three who died, identified as a Dutch couple and a German national. Six infections have been officially confirmed, while two remain suspected cases. As terrifying images of hazmat evacuations continue spreading online, health experts are warning that the situation remains fluid despite reassurances from authorities.

[00:06:57]For now, passengers from more than 20 nations remain caught in an extraordinary international health operation involving military aircraft, quarantine facilities, WHO officials, and emergency repatriation flights. And as the MV Hondius prepares for its final journey to Rotterdam under global scrutiny, the deadly Hanta virus outbreak has once again reminded the world how quickly a remote medical emergency at sea can spiral into a full-scale international crisis.

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