Ebola Scare: Asky passengers to Chad stranded in Dla

In a 3-star hotel at Valley Bensengue in Douala, the Asky Airline housed its passengers which it sold tickets for a flight to Ndjamena in Chad.

"It's been three days since my travel day, on Sunday we woke up at 4am to go to the airport. After moving around for eight hours in the airport, we were told to go back to the hotel. It's tiring and I can’t tell you what I've already lost. "Flaubert Ottou said.

He is one of the passengers that the plane of Asky could not embark Sunday morning at Douala because of Cameroonian ban of flights from countries affected by Ebola.

In a notice, the Douala airport police decided to extend this decision to all flights coming from West Africa countries. Thus, the Asky plane coming from Lome, Togo last Sunday was initially ordered to return with all passengers on board.

After six hours of intense discussions, grounds were reached between the airport police, the management of the company Asky and the Governor of the Littoral Region, Chairman of the Regional Committee for the Fight against epidemics and pandemics.

He has ordered the plane to return to Lome, without the Douala passengers. Moreover, these passengers before they set foot in Cameroon were each subjected to a screening test of the Ebola virus.

Flights went back to the Togolese capital leaving in Cameroon the passengers who were heading to Chad.

“This attitude of the Cameroonian authorities is unapproved by the World Health Organization (WHO)”, a statement posted on its website said.

The WHO advised that it is not recommended to prohibit travel to and from countries affected by the Ebola virus because "the virus is transmitted only through direct contact with body fluids of a sick person.

Generally, the state of a patient with Ebola is such that he cannot even travel," said WHO.

The Government of Cameroon hitherto just announced the closure of its borders with Nigeria, near the South-West region.

"This measure will, prohibit travel by land and sea between the two countries," says the Governor of the South West. From that part of Cameroon, one can go or come from Nigeria through localities of Tiko, Limbe and Mamfe.