A river boat carrying 255 people has been stopped and quarantined in the middle of the Congo River after five passengers died in what authorities fear could be linked to Ebola.

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have intercepted a passenger boat on the Congo River and placed everyone on board under strict quarantine over a suspected Ebola scare.

The vessel, the Yingfeng 2, operated by a Chinese company, was halted near Bende Bende port, about 65km upstream from the capital, Kinshasa, after reports of illness on board.

According to cbinews.tv, Congolese authorities are now conducting Ebola and cholera screening for all 255 passengers as a precaution.

Health Minister Roger Kamba said the alarm was raised after a passenger who had disembarked earlier with fever and diarrhoea later died in hospital. Two other adults, a three-year-old child and a newborn have also since died.

Teams from the health ministry and the World Health Organization have boarded the vessel and set up a mobile laboratory to carry out testing.

"For now, no-one has tested positive, and it is likely no one will be positive after 21 days of incubation has elapsed," Kamba told reporters.

The boat is understood to have left Kisangani, the country's third-largest city, about two weeks ago and travelled more than 1,700km downstream towards Kinshasa before being intercepted.

Mr Kamba clarified that there have been no confirmed Ebola cases in Mongala Province, where the first passenger disembarked, contrary to earlier reports.

Security services have been instructed to quarantine the Yingfeng 2 offshore in line with WHO standards to prevent any potential spread into the capital, with public health teams on standby.

The development comes as DR Congo continues to battle its 17th Ebola outbreak since 15 May, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which had not been seen for over a decade. There is currently no specific treatment or licensed vaccine for this strain, although first human trials for a vaccine are under way in the UK.

Official figures show 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths so far, making it the second deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. More than 17,000 contacts are being monitored, with 674 patients in isolation and 776 recoveries.

In Kinshasa, surveillance and rapid-response measures are being reinforced at Maluku, the main river entry point to the city. Officials insist the measures are precautionary, but they underline how serious the situation remains.

Credit: cbinews.tv

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