Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Begins Evacuation in Canary Islands

Guardia Civil boats surround the MV Hondius after docking in the Granadilla Port in Tenerife, May 10.

Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

A cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak is starting the process of evacuating passengers in Spain’s Canary Islands, almost a month after the contagious disease broke out.

The vessel, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, anchored near Tenerife on Sunday and people have started to disembark, beginning with Spanish citizens, Spain’s Health Ministry said.