Nations mobilise for mass evacuations

With Beirut's airport out of operation, many foreign nationals escaped by bus to Syria as others were taken away by ship or helicopter to Cyprus.

Israel has imposed an air and sea blockade around Lebanon but has said it will co-ordinate with foreign governments to allow their terrified nationals to leave.

In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain now has six ships in the region. They include the Royal Navy flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, and an amphibious assault ship, HMS Bulwark.

"We have taken out of Lebanon the first 60 people and that was done yesterday. The first ship will come today so obviously we can take far larger numbers out," he told parliament.

A chartered French ferry with 900 people aboard docked overnight in Larnaca, Cyprus, and was awaiting authorisation to retune for more evacuees.

An Italian vessel -- with 186 Italians, 58 Lebanese and 49 Swedes and a new-born baby on board -- docked there late Monday.

The United States -- which flew 43 people out of Lebanon Monday on military helicopters, most of them children, elderly and sick people -- has chartered a ship capable of carrying 750 passengers from Lebanon to Cyprus.

The United States has an estimated 25,000 passport-holders in Lebanon.

Russians fleeing southern Lebanon described a harrowing journey along deserted and bombed roads to Beirut as others returned safely to Moscow from the Palestinian territories.

Meanwhile, international aid agencies said yesterday that they were stepping in to help tens of thousands of people from poor countries escape war-torn Lebanon.

Jemini Pandya, spokeswoman for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), told journalists that the Geneva-based body had rushed a team to Lebanon to take stock of the situation and establish how many people needed to be evacuated.

Pandya said that the IOM had been approached by governments including Bangladesh, the Philippines and Sri Lanka to help their nationals who want to leave Lebanon.