By Our Correspondent
National News – Tension erupted in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after angry residents and relatives of Ebola victims attacked a hospital over strict burial restrictions linked to the deadly outbreak.
The unrest happened on Thursday at Rwampara hospital in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the country’s latest Ebola crisis.
The violence reportedly began after a 24-year-old man, said to be the son of a soldier, died at the hospital.
Health officials refused to release the corpse to the family because Ebola safety protocols prohibit direct contact with bodies suspected to carry the virus.
Relatives and sympathisers reacted angrily, setting fire to isolation tents used for Ebola patients before soldiers intervened.
According to hospital officials, the military fired warning shots to disperse the crowd after rioters threw stones and injured a nurse.
Security forces were later deployed to escort the burial of three suspected Ebola victims to prevent further attacks and enforce health guidelines.
The World Health Organization has warned that the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the latest outbreak has already claimed more than 177 lives.
Unlike some previous Ebola strains, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available, making rapid isolation, contact tracing and safe burials critical to controlling infections.
Many residents in the conflict-hit region remain distrustful of government authorities and health workers.
Some grieving families rejected claims that their loved ones died from Ebola, describing the disease as “imaginary” while demanding access to the bodies for traditional funeral rites.
Healthcare workers, dressed in full protective gear, later carried the coffins to a cemetery under heavy military escort.
Emotional relatives watched from a distance as the victims were buried under strict safety procedures.
Community leaders say misinformation, poor healthcare infrastructure and delayed emergency response efforts continue to fuel fear and resistance in affected areas.
Authorities are urging residents to cooperate with medical teams to prevent the virus from spreading further across the region.
