The Ebola treatment center in Rwampara in the Democratic Republic of Congo, burned Thursday as gunshots could be heard nearby and local residents were seen chasing away and hitting a white four-wheel drive vehicle often used by NGOs in the area.
The treatment center was set up on Tuesday, but was not operational yet. However, healthcare teams were storing bodies in the center to prepare them for proper burial, an important step in containing Ebola outbreaks.
A security coordinator working for the Ebola response said the incident was a result of a “misunderstanding” as relatives tried to retrieve a body of a person who earlier died of the virus.
“His family, friends, and other young people wanted to take his body home for a funeral, even though the instructions from the authorities during this Ebola virus outbreak are clear: all bodies must be buried according to the regulations related to this pandemic,” Jean Claude Mukendi explained.
(Story and video via AP)