Attack in Congo sends hospital patients fleeing
In an attack in eastern Congo, 180 hospital patients fled, including people with confirmed or suspected infections.
Follow-up to: British Ebola patient expected to be evacuated to London Thursday, 5 November 2026, 14:42
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At least 33 people were killed in an attack in eastern Congo, according to local sources. AP reports that the attackers were militants affiliated with Islamic State. Afterwards, 180 patients fled a hospital, including one confirmed Ebola patient and several people who may be infected.
The attack took place in a village in North Kivu province. A local civil society organisation reported that militants attacked homes and that at least 33 bodies had been recovered. The information comes from local sources and has not been independently confirmed by all parties involved.
Among those who left the hospital were 180 patients from Kelekele Hospital Center in Cantine. According to the medical director, they included one patient with a confirmed Ebola infection and others suspected of being infected. The patients left the hospital after the attack.
The flow of people fleeing makes it more difficult to isolate patients and trace contacts. This is particularly relevant in the case of Ebola, as containing the disease depends on rapid medical treatment, protective measures and tracing people who have been in contact with an infected patient.
The attack comes on top of an already fragile health crisis. In recent days, a British doctor who was working in Congo on the Ebola outbreak was transferred to London for treatment. That earlier report concerned the evacuation of an individual patient; the new development concerns the impact of violence on a hospital and efforts to contain the outbreak locally.
It remains unclear how many of the 180 patients have since been found, where they have gone and how many are actually infected. The figure of 180 therefore refers to people who fled the hospital, not the number of new Ebola cases.
There is no indication of a direct risk of infection for the Netherlands. The significance of the news lies mainly in the combination of conflict and public health: violence can prevent medical teams from reaching patients and make an outbreak more difficult to track.
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Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text follows the available AP and Reuters reporting and avoids unconfirmed claims about new infections. The uncertainty surrounding the local reports is explicitly noted.
- confirmed At least 33 people were killed in the attack, according to local sources. — AP and Reuters report this on the basis of local sources. source
- confirmed 180 patients fled the hospital, including a confirmed Ebola patient. — Reported by the medical director to AP and carried by Reuters. source
- confirmed The number of patients who fled is not the same as the number of new infections. — This follows directly from the source description of patients and suspected cases. source
Editor's note
The number of patients who fled and the number of dead are based on statements from local sources; independent verification of all details is lacking.Sources
- IS-linked militants kill at least 33 in eastern Congo village attack — Associated Press
- Islamist militants force Ebola patients to flee in deadly Congo raid — Reuters via Investing.com
- British doctor who tested positive for Ebola in Congo is evacuated — Associated Press
The story so far
- Thursday, 5 November 2026, 14:42 British Ebola patient expected to be evacuated to London
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 20:14 Attack in Congo sends hospital patients fleeing (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „ebola congo”
- RTL Nieuws — „ebola congo”
- NOS — „ebola congo”