Spanish health officials board hantavirus-hit cruise ship to begin evacuation of passengers

TENERIFE, May 10 (Reuters) - ​Spain ⁠has begun ​the evacuation process of passengers from ​the ‌hantavirus-hit cruise ship anchored near ⁠Tenerife on Sunday ⁠with health officials boarding ​the boat to conduct a final check and ​begin disembarking ‌passengers, Spain's health ministry said.

The first group of passengers, who ​are Spanish nationals, will be taken ‌back to shore on small boats ‌and immediately transferred into sealed buses to the local airport ​where they will fly back to ‌Madrid on a Spanish government plane, government officials said, emphasising ⁠they ⁠will have no ‌contact with members of the public. (Reporting ​by ​Corina Pons, ‌Leo Bennasatto, Miguel Pereira in Tenerife, Victoria Waldersee in Madrid, Editing by Aislinn Laing)