Security forces opened fire as they tried to contain unrest during a suspected Ebola victim’s burial in Beni, northeastern Congo, on Thursday, leaving at least one dead and several injured, two sources said. Officials are investigating the toll and circumstances.
At Katula-Paida cemetery, the burial team was preparing to follow Ebola safety procedures when residents demanded to see the deceased and questioned whether the person had died of Ebola, a member of the city’s Ebola response team said.
Government data released Wednesday showed that the outbreak, declared on May 15, had infected 7,820 people and killed 3,779. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on burial teams and other Ebola responders, amid persistent mistrust among residents.
