Ebola patient vanishes after armed raid on DR Congo hospital, search underway

Wed Jun 17 2026 16:48:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Six‑year‑old patient and mother missing after armed men stormed a Butembo hospital. Authorities race to locate them amid growing tensions around Ebola treatment centers.

In Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, armed men pursued a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother from Wanamahika Hospital, leaving the child and her mother missing. Local health officials warn that the separate attacks on treatment facilities have fueled fear and mistrust, while the ongoing Bundibugyo outbreak, with no vaccine yet, presses the need for swift action. The incident follows a streak of violent clashes, including fires set at isolation tents and police firing shots at crowds in Mongbwalu, all of which compound challenges to controlling the outbreak.

After armed men stormed Wanamahika Hospital in Butembo, authorities are searching for a six‑year‑old Ebola patient and her mother, who were taken from the facility by individuals wielding knives, local health officials have said. The child was seized from the hospital on Monday and her whereabouts remain unknown, as the men who captured her are reported to be “very angry.”

It is unclear whether the attackers had any prior connection to the child, but the incident illustrates the fear and mistrust that pervades treatment centres amid the current outbreak. In an interview with Reuters, Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston urged the child and her mother to seek care at a health centre, citing the risks of worsening health and possible infection of relatives.

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that has infected almost 200 people and claimed 84 lives is still without a vaccine, and the World Health Organization warns that conflict in eastern DR Congo—particularly where the M23 rebel group controls large parts of North and South Kivu—complicates containment efforts.

The outbreak remains concentrated in Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu provinces, with the hands‑up incident in Butembo adding another layer of urgency. Earlier incidents saw police in Mongbwalu firing in the air after crowds tried to retrieve bodies from a healthcare facility, and residents set fire to isolation tents in Rwampara when they could not remove a suspected Ebola corpse.

Ebola victims’ bodies are highly infectious, and improper burial procedures can further spread the virus. Public perception—especially in remote communities—often frames Ebola as a foreign creation by NGOs and hospitals, a sentiment highlighted by local politician Luc Malembe Malembe.

The BBC Africa team on the ground reports the incident set a new tone for the region’s struggle against the virus, with health workers, local officials and international agencies scrambling to track the missing child and reinforce the safety of treatment facilities.