TENERIFE, Spain, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Javier Padilla, Spain's Secretary of State for health, said on social media on Sunday that the evacuation of passengers and some crew members from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius has been underway as planned, with more than 90 people expected to be evacuated by the end of the day.

According to a video released by the official X account of the Spanish Interior Ministry's General Secretariat for Civil Protection and Emergencies, 49 passengers and crew members from 14 different countries had been evacuated by Sunday afternoon since the operation began.

Padilla said passengers and crew members from Britain, Turkey, France, Ireland and the United States would continue to be evacuated later on Sunday, with the total number of evacuees expected to exceed 90 by the end of the day. ■