First Tripoli evacuees, including Filipinos, arrive by ship in Benghazi

BENGHAZI—A first ship carrying evacuees from Tripoli, including Filipinos, arrived in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Saturday, an Agence France-Presse correspondent reported.

The ship, chartered by the International Organization for Migration (OIM) and carrying 263 people, mostly Egyptian and Algerian, arrived at 0930 GMT after a voyage of some 30 hours.

Eight Libyans were also brought out of the capital, among them former political prisoners, as well as migrant workers and their families from the Philippines, Mauritania and India.

The latter will be given check-ups at a Red Cross camp before being taken to the Egyptian border for repatriation, the OIM said.

A second boat carrying food, medicines and other desperately needed supplies and with capacity for 1,200 passengers left Benghazi for Tripoli on Friday.

The OIM says it plans to send more in the coming days.