Unruly protestors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have set Ebola clinics on fire amid widespread panic over a so-called "phantom coffin" that instantly kills people.
On Thursday, locals near Rwampara Hospital set fire to two medical tents after the family of a young man killed by the disease attempted to take his corpse from the facility "by force", local politician Luc Mambele revealed.
After authorities refused to hand over the body, relatives began hurling objects at the tents, causing a blaze to break out, he said.
The medical tents were being used by the Alliance for International Medical Action (Alima) to treat six patients, who have since been relocated to the main hospital building.
The organisation has raised the alarm over “incorrect or unconfirmed information circulating on social media and the internet", which has led to mistrust towards health authorities seeking to assist during the deadly outbreak.
The Bundibugyo strain - which has no treatment or vaccine - has ripped through communities in the DRC and Uganda, and has killed 160 people in the DRC so far, the African nation's government confirmed.
After the chaos erupted, police were sent in to subdue the protestors, with DRC spokesman Patrick Muyaya blasting the attack as " exactly what" the locals "shouldn’t do".
He told CNN that many within rural communities in the DRC believe that "Ebola is a lie", adding: “The population is not sufficiently informed or made aware of what is happening.
Locals near Rwampara Hospital set fire to two medical tents after the family of a young man killed by the disease attempted to take his corpse
|REUTERS
"To members of the most remote communities, Ebola is a white man’s invention; it doesn't exist," he said.
Highlighting the extent of the rampant misinformation surrounding the disease, Valet Chebujongo - a community organiser - said that locals in Mongwalu believe there is a "phantom coffin that brings instant death by merely seeing it".
He warned that the circulation of rumours such as this was causing community members to reject medical intervention, instead relying on prayers and magic.
Mr Chebujongo also said that traditional Congolese practices around funerals are causing loved ones to touch the infected bodies of the deceased, sparking concerns around further infections.
READ MORE ON THE EBOLA OUTBREAK:
Mr Muyaya told CNN that many within rural communities in the DRC believe that 'Ebola is a lie'
|REUTERS
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has explicitly urged funerals and burials to be carried out by well-trained personnel as a result.
But Mongwalu resident Baraka Nakashenyi explained that “touching (the corpse) for the last time” is believed to be “the final farewell” for families of the dead.
Meanwhile, Bunia local Junior Kambale Bawili said that residents of affected communities are now “afraid to consume smoked bushmeat".
Despite the fears among locals towards medical aid, Britain will send more than £20million to Africa to contain the outbreak, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed.
British taxpayers will provide funds to contain the virus with support for frontline health workers, improved infection control and disease surveillance.
Yvette Cooper confirmed that Britain will send more than £20million to Africa to contain the outbreak
| GETTYMs Cooper said: "It is vital we act now to save lives - outbreaks like Ebola do not stop at borders, and neither can we."
The WHO said the outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain “warrants serious concern” as the number of confirmed cases hit 1,261 on Thursday.
However, the medical authority dismissed concerns of the disease spreading across the globe, insisted the transmission risk is higher at regional levels.
The WHO formally declared the outbreak was an international emergency on Sunday.
And on Tuesday, the US banned entry to foreigners travelling from several African countries after health officials confirmed an American citizen had contracted Ebola.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed a 30-day suspension on foreign nationals who have recently travelled through the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within the past three weeks.
The restrictions will not apply to US citizens or lawful permanent residents.
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