Government Brings Home 63 Bulgarians from Egypt
The plane of the Bulgarian government sent to evacuate the Bulgarian citizens who want to leave Egypt arrived in Sofia at about 8:20 pm Tuesday.
A total of 63 Bulgarian and 3 Russian citizens were brought from Cairo to Sofia as the civil unrest in Egypt continues to be intensive with more than 1 million people rallying in downtown Cairo Tuesday to demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
The total number of Bulgarian citizens residing in Egypt is estimated at 200-300 but Bulgaria is evacuating only those wishing to leave the country.
Earlier Tuesday, Bulgaria dispatched its government plane to collect from Cairo those Bulgarian citizens wishing to leave the country, a few days after a number of other states have done the same.
Despite the difficult situation at the Cairo International Airport, the plane was able to land and depart successfully.
Meanwhile Bulgarian tour operators have started to organize charter flights to bring back the Bulgarian tourists currently on vacation in Egyptian resorts. Early Tuesday morning a charter flight brought home 90 Bulgarian tourists from Hyrgada.
Three Bulgarians were evacuated by Greece from the northern city of Alexandria and brought to Athens.