Jimu News reporter Manda Sun Zhe
Urgently evacuated from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and took the "New Xiamen" ship for more than 9 hours at night, Mr. Li and his compatriots from Jiangxi arrived in Cyprus on the morning of October 1, local time. After a day of waiting there, Mr. Li was about to take a flight from Cyprus back to Beijing. On October 2, Mr. Li, who was still in the hotel in Cyprus, told Jimu News that the evacuation was unforgettable for his life, and thanks to the strong motherland, he was able to quickly evacuate from Lebanon, because he was relieved all the way with the care of embassy staff and volunteers.
Evacuated in the afternoon after being notified in the morning
Mr. Li is a native of Jiangxi Province and has been working on overseas construction projects all year round. More than a month ago, he came to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to work on a project site for a Chinese-funded company. With tensions in the Middle East and Israel's frequent attacks on many parts of Lebanon, Mr. Lee, who is in Beirut, also feels the danger.
Evacuees arrive in Cyprus and prepare to disembark (video screenshot)
"We were at the construction site and saw two shells hit the city of Beirut with thick smoke. It's only 5 kilometers away. Mr. Li said. On the morning of September 30, local time, Mr. Li was still working at the construction site when he suddenly received a notice to evacuate. After lunch at the project site, Mr. Li and his colleagues quickly packed their belongings and waited for the other overseas Chinese who had been evacuated together. Staff from the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon dispatched two buses to take everyone to the port in Beirut.
Mr. Li was the first batch of evacuees, with a total of 69 Chinese nationals in Lebanon and 11 foreign family members. "Our project is not far from the port, and it takes more than 10 minutes to drive." Mr. Li said that at about 5 p.m. local time on the 30th, after they arrived at the port, they began to go through the departure procedures, and it was about 10 p.m. when they boarded the ship and prepared to leave.
Mr. Li and others came to pick up the "New Xiamen" ship of China COSCO Shipping Group. After boarding the ship, the captain told everyone that it would take more than 9 hours to reach Cyprus. "The captain asked us to ask for anything, and we had everything to eat and drink on board, and we took good care of it." Mr. Li said that among the companions, there were children and pregnant women, and they would be placed in comfortable positions such as sofas, and everyone was very cooperative.
At about 10 o'clock in the evening, the "New Xiamen" ship headed west to Cyprus. On the night voyage in the Eastern Mediterranean, Mr. Li felt very stable: "Because this is on our Chinese ship, it is very safe, and I can't sleep." At about 10 a.m. the next day, the ship arrived at the port of Limassol, and Mr. Li felt extremely relieved when he saw the calm port.
Evacuees await evacuation in Beirut (video screenshot)
Upon arrival at the port, the national anthem is sung
"The staff of the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus, as well as a volunteer team composed of local Chinese and overseas Chinese, came to the port to pick us up." Mr. Li said that after arriving at the port, he saw that many five-star red flags had been posted at the scene, and the Chinese ambassador to Cyprus had also come to greet them, and the on-site staff had also distributed food. "Mr. Ambassador reassures us that the motherland will send us home safely. It was very warm and touching to listen to. Mr. Li said that because it was the National Day, everyone also sang the national anthem together.
After arriving in Cyprus, everyone sang together (video screenshot)
After disembarking in Cyprus, the group was arranged to a local hotel and waited for their flight home. "After our first batch of evacuees arrived in Cyprus, the second group of evacuated compatriots took a chartered flight directly to Beijing." Mr. Li introduced that on the afternoon of October 2, local time, they will also fly from Cyprus to Beijing. "The embassy staff was very caring, they came to the hotel at 7 o'clock in the morning and asked us what we thought, just mention it to the embassy." Mr. Li said that he was very excited that he would be able to board the plane back to China soon, and that this evacuation was something he will never forget.
"When I was in Lebanon, my family in China saw the news and was very worried about me and called every day to ask. Now they can finally rest assured. Mr. Li said.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the evacuation was divided into two groups: the first batch of 69 Chinese citizens in Lebanon and 11 foreign family members went to Cyprus by boat, and the second group of 146 Chinese citizens in Lebanon and 5 foreign family members returned to Beijing by chartered flight. The project undertaken by the Chinese side to aid the National Higher Conservatory of Music in Lebanon served as a temporary assembly point for the evacuation. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 200 Chinese citizens in Lebanon, of which more than 150 are project personnel.
Zhao Ying, an overseas Chinese leader who has lived in Lebanon for 20 years, said that China quickly launched the evacuation operation, and the whole process was safe and orderly. According to her, there are still some people who have chosen to stay in Lebanon, most of whom have started families in Lebanon and those who remain have stockpiled supplies.
Source: Jimu News Editor: Li Weishan