People set fire to Ebola treatment centre in Congo as anger over outbreak rises

An Ebola treatment centre in eastern Congo was set on fire by locals after they were prevented from retrieving a body, highlighting the challenges of containing the outbreak amidst cultural and logistical hurdles.

People set fire to an Ebola treatment centre in a town at the heart of the outbreak in eastern Congo on Thursday after being stopped from retrieving the body of a local man, a senior police officer said, as fear and anger grow over a health crisis that doctors are struggling to contain.

The arson attack in Rwampara reflects the challenges of health workers trying to curb a rare Ebola virus by using stringent measures that might clash with local customs, such as burial rites.

The disease has been spreading for weeks in a region lacking in health facilities and where armed conflict has displaced many people.

There are 148 suspected deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases in the outbreak. The World Health Organisation has declared it a public health emergency of international concern.