Young men storm Congo hospital treating Ebola patients to demand bodies of their kin

Young men stormed Mongbwalu General Hospital in eastern Congo on Sunday, demanding the bodies of relatives and forcing staff to evacuate patients from the Ebola treatment site as gunfire rang out nearby, according to the Associated Press.

The attack came as the hospital was treating Ebola patients in Ituri province, where health workers have been trying to contain a new outbreak of the disease.

AP reported that the men were angry over the handling of the dead and wanted the bodies of two relatives. Staff scrambled to move patients and workers to safety during the disturbance.

The incident is the third attack in a week on health care facilities tied to the Ebola response in the area, according to AP. It follows a broader surge of anger and mistrust around treatment and burial procedures in communities affected by the outbreak.

The World Health Organization said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was declared a public health emergency of international concern and is centered in Ituri province. WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared on May 15.

ALIMA, the medical organization responding in the outbreak zone, has said it is operating in the area as part of the response. Recent coverage from other outlets also described attacks on Ebola treatment centers in eastern Congo and the backlash over body-handling practices.

The latest assault underscores the security risks facing Ebola responders in eastern Congo, where even treatment sites can become flashpoints when families distrust burial practices or fear what will happen to their dead.