Two Indians Aboard Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship 'Healthy', Evacuated To Netherlands

Last Updated:May 10, 2026, 23:37 IST

Occupants of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius started flying home in carefully coordinated stages after the outbreak triggered global concern.

Two Indian nationals aboard the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius that was hit by a deadly strain of hantavirus are reportedly “healthy and asymptomatic", the Indian embassy in Madrid confirmed, after the ship arrived off Spain’s Canary Islands.

The ship carrying 150 passengers and crew members arrived at Tenerife early on Sunday from Cape Verde, where three infected people had been evacuated to Europe earlier in the week. This came after cases linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus triggered widespread concern.

“The Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius, with around 150 individuals, including 2 Indian nationals, arrived in Spain today. In the context of the Hantavirus outbreak, the ship anchored off the coast of Canary Islands of Spain. The passengers onboard disembarked from the ship, in accordance with the protocol established by WHO and Spanish authorities," the Indian embassy said in a statement.

“The 2 Indian nationals are healthy and asymptomatic. As informed by the Spanish National Center for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM), the 02 Indian nationals who were travelling as crew members, have been evacuated to the Netherlands where they will be quarantined as per relevant health safety protocol," it added.

Indian Ambassador to Spain Jayant N Khobragade is in close contact with Spanish authorities and the two Indians to assure their well-being and safety.

Occupants of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius started flying home in carefully coordinated stages after the outbreak triggered global concern. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said eight people had fallen ill aboard the ship, including three who died – a Dutch couple and a German national.

Passengers wearing protective medical suits were seen disembarking the vessel onto smaller boats before reaching the port of Granadilla in Tenerife. They were then transported in sealed buses under police escort to Tenerife South airport, where they underwent further protective measures before boarding repatriation flights.

Countries Evacuate Their Citizens

Several countries are preparing to evacuate their citizens from the ship, with the WHO briefing member states with nationals on how to manage the process, advising active monitoring of passengers for a 42-day period from the last point of exposure.

Government planes carrying Spanish and French nationals landed in Madrid and Paris on Sunday afternoon, where the passengers were transported to a hospital, according to the two countries’ governments. One of the five French passengers showed symptoms during the repatriation flight, according to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

Planes to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, Ireland, and the United States were due to depart by Sunday. The passengers will be tested upon arrival and then either taken to local hospitals or quarantine facilities or transported home for isolation.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said the evacuation of most of the ship’s nearly 150 passengers and crew would continue until a final repatriation flight to Australia on Monday.

In a separate development, British military personnel carried out a high-risk airborne operation to deliver urgent medical support to a suspected hantavirus patient on Tristan da Cunha, Britain’s most remote overseas territory.

Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause severe illness. Humans typically become infected through contact with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents, or by disturbing contaminated surfaces – often during cleaning in infested areas or outdoor activities in rural environments like forests, fields, or farms.

(with inputs from agencies)

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