Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands will send planes to evacuate their citizens from the Tenerife-bound cruise ship MV Hondius, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak, Spain's interior minister announced Saturday.
The European Union is deploying two additional planes for remaining European citizens. The US and UK are arranging transport for non-EU nationals.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will meet Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid before traveling to Tenerife to coordinate the ship's arrival. The MV Hondius is expected to anchor off Granadilla de Abona early Sunday.
Authorities have set a narrow evacuation window between midday Sunday and Monday afternoon due to impending stormy weather.
The WHO confirmed eight illnesses aboard, including three deaths: a Dutch couple and a German national. Of those, six are confirmed hantavirus cases with two suspected. The virus is typically rodent-borne but can, rarely, spread person-to-person.
All passengers and 17 crew members will be evacuated; 30 crew will remain onboard to sail the ship to the Netherlands. Luggage and the body of one deceased passenger will stay aboard. The ship will be fully disinfected upon arrival. Spanish citizens will disembark first, with evacuation order determined by health authorities.