MV Hondius departs Tenerife after €5 million evacuation operation

The MV Hondius has left the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, setting course for the Netherlands, where it will undergo full disinfection following a hantavirus outbreak on board.

The departure comes after a major evacuation operation that the Canary Islands government estimates will cost around five million euros.

Passengers were brought ashore in controlled groups for medical checks, with fourteen Spanish nationals flown to Madrid for further assessment.

Regional authorities say the cost will be covered by the ship’s operator and insurers, and stress that all passengers remained asymptomatic throughout the process.

Photo and Video: AcfiPress Noticias Canarias – Creative Commons Attribution Licence – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS8mnQJ06mM