Riot Erupts at Congo Hospital Over Ebola Burial Rules

Tensions boiled over at a hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as rioters burned down tents used to isolate Ebola patients, protesting against strict burial restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus.

The incident occurred at Rwampara hospital in Ituri province, the epicentre of the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak. The violence broke out after a 24-year-old man, the son of a soldier, died at the facility. Family members demanded the body for a traditional burial, but health workers refused due to the high risk of infection.

Ebola is extremely contagious through prolonged physical contact and bodily fluids. The current strain, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or treatment, forcing authorities to rely on precautions and contact tracing. The World Health Organization believes the outbreak has already claimed more than 177 lives.

The riot was swiftly brought under control after soldiers fired warning shots. A nurse was injured by stones thrown during the chaos. The charred remains of the isolation tents were all that was left standing at the hospital.

Local residents expressed deep distrust of the government’s response. Many questioned whether Ebola was real, with one mourner calling it an “imaginary disease.” Others wept as they were prevented from seeing their loved ones before burial.

Health workers eventually emerged in full protective gear carrying three coffins to a cemetery, escorted by military and police jeeps. The bodies were sprayed with disinfectant and quickly lowered into the earth. A pastor recited Bible verses as family members watched in anguish.

Decades of limited state presence in rural Ituri, combined with repeated massacres by armed groups, have fuelled anger toward authorities. Residents in nearby Mongbwalu complained that isolation areas had still not been set up, forcing suspected Ebola cases to mix with other patients in regular hospital wards.