Nations step up Lebanon evacuation plans

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at the G8 summit of industrialised nations in Saint Petersburg that an aircraft would leave Moscow Monday morning to fly Russian nationals home from the Jordanian capital Amman. "It is due to repatriate 74 citizens of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, mostly women and children," he said.

A ferry chartered by the French government to evacuate its nationals is due to arrive off the coast of Lebanon during the night and start taking on board its first passengers early Monday, the foreign ministry in Paris said Sunday.

The boat can accommodate 800 to 1,600 people and will shuttle between Cyprus and the Lebanese coast, taking off those of the estimated 20,000 French tourists and residents in Lebanon who wish to leave, as well as other foreigners.

Three helicopters are being sent to Larnaca in Cyprus, as well as two aircraft, one a communications centre and the other a mobile headquarters. Two warships left ports in the Mediterranean on the way to the region.

The British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious sailed from Gibraltar Sunday to help evacuate British citizens, Sky News reported, citing its correspondent who saw the ship depart. The amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark is also reported to be on its way to the area.

The British defence ministry called the ships' move closer to Lebanon "precautionary", a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters at the G8 summit, which has been dominated by the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

"It is sensible to have ships in the region, but it is a precaution," he said.

About 3,500 British families, or 10,000 people, live in Lebanon, and there are some 10,000 people with dual nationality.

Several European countries have announced plans to evacuate their citizens by land to Syria or by ferry to Cyprus since Israeli air strikes pounded deep craters in Beirut airport runways last week, making air travel impossible.

The Cypriot foreign ministry said it was prepared to support a joint European Union-coordinated mass evacuation of Europeans stranded in Lebanon, and gave permission for its ports to be used for sea evacuation.

Australia is drawing up an evacuation plan for thousands of its citizens trapped in Lebanon, Prime Minister John Howard said.

Howard said about 25,000 dual Lebanese-Australian nationals were living in Lebanon along with 3,000 Australian visitors.

"We are doing everything we can, 24 hours a day, to arrange an evacuation plan," Howard told Australian television.

"The most likely way of evacuation, on my advice, is by ferry to Cyprus and we are actively exploring all the possibilities in relation to that."

Canada urged its citizens trapped in Lebanon to remain indoors while the government prepared a potential evacuation plan.