Government aircraft on the way to Lebanon to evacuate Bulgarians

The government aircraft took off at 13:03 on September 30 from the capital's airport. It is expected to land in Beirut around 3pm.

According to BNT sources, the plane is expected to stay at the Lebanese airport for a little over an hour and then fly back to Bulgaria. Bulgarians who wished to be evacuated have been informed in advance of the exact time and place of the evacuation.

The Council of Ministers said in a press release on September 29 that preparations were underway for a phased evacuation by air of Bulgarian citizens who have declared their wish to leave Lebanon.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Secretariat of the Security Council and the security services.

Other evacuation options are being considered in parallel. At present, all Bulgarian nationals willing to be evacuated from Lebanon have been identified. They will be informed of the exact time and place of the evacuation directly through the Bulgarian Embassy in Beirut, in coordination with the Situation Centre of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, the statement said.

Priority will be given to families with children and vulnerable groups.

President Rumen Radev has been informed of the actions taken by the Bulgarian government, the Council of Ministers added.