MV Hondius remains anchored off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands as an unprecedented multinational evacuation operation unfolds following a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has already claimed at least three lives.

The first passengers were evacuated Sunday under strict biosecurity measures as Spanish authorities, the World Health Organization and emergency teams coordinated the disembarkation process at the industrial port of Granadilla.

Spanish nationals were the first to leave the vessel and were immediately flown to Madrid, where they were transferred to the Gómez Ulla military hospital for quarantine and medical monitoring. Flights carrying French and Canadian citizens also departed Tenerife, while additional evacuation aircraft from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries were expected throughout Sunday and Monday.

According to the WHO, the outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission in cases of close and prolonged contact. Health authorities have confirmed at least six infections linked to the ship, with eight total cases under investigation and three fatalities.

Despite global concern, officials stressed that none of the more than 140 passengers and crew members still aboard the ship are currently showing symptoms. Nevertheless, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control classified all passengers as high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled personally to Tenerife to oversee the operation and reassure local residents, stating publicly that “this is not another COVID” and emphasizing that the risk to the general population remains low.

The evacuation process has involved extraordinary safety protocols. Passengers are being ferried ashore in small boats, escorted through sealed security corridors and transferred directly to evacuation flights without any contact with the local population. Images from Tenerife showed passengers and personnel wearing hazmat suits, respirators and face masks during the operation.

The United Kingdom confirmed it would send dedicated flights to repatriate British citizens, while American passengers are expected to quarantine at a medical facility in Nebraska. France announced that its citizens would remain hospitalized for 72 hours before completing a 45-day home isolation period.

Some crew members, along with the body of one deceased passenger, will remain aboard as the ship continues its journey to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where it will undergo full disinfection procedures. The voyage is expected to take approximately five days.

The outbreak began during a polar expedition that departed from Argentina and included stops in Antarctica and remote South Atlantic territories. British military medics were also deployed to Tristan da Cunha after a suspected case emerged involving a passenger who had previously disembarked from the ship.

The MV Hondius case is already being viewed internationally as one of the most significant cruise-related public health emergencies since the COVID-19 pandemic.