Passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship began flying home Sunday aboard military and government planes after the vessel anchored in the Canary Islands.
Spanish passengers were the first to leave the MV Hondius following its arrival in Tenerife, the largest island in the Spanish archipelago off the West African coast.
They were then flown to Madrid and taken to a military hospital. Hours later, a plane that evacuated French passengers landed in Paris, where it was met by emergency vehicles.
One of the five French passengers developed symptoms on the flight, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a statement, and all were put into strict isolation with plans to be tested.
Health officials say the risk to public is low, but those disembarking and personnel working at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife wore protective gear during the evacuation process.
Passengers were relieved to be on their way to their home countries, with numerous countries having said their people would be quarantined or hospitalized for observation.
