First Russian workers return from Libya

MOSCOW: A Russian plane carrying 118 people arrived from Libya in Moscow on Wednesday, bringing home the first of more than 500 Russian railroad and oil workers from the turmoil hit country, officials said.

Russia's emergency ministry said it planned to send a total of four planes to Tripoli as well as a rescue raft to the Libyan port city of Ras Lanuf, which is home to an oil refinery.

A ministry spokeswoman said Russia intended to evacuate a total of 1,263 people from Libya -- 563 Russians and 700 Turkish and Serbian citizens working under contract with the Russian Railways company.

The foreign ministry said Tuesday that Moscow had no immediate plans to evacuate its embassy in Tripoli.