BEIJING: Missile blasts lighting up the night sky. Shockwaves rattling windows. Flights cancelled without warning.
Chinese citizens stranded across parts of the Middle East have described frightening scenes amid the conflict involving military strikes by the United States and Israel and subsequent Iranian retaliation.
Amid the violence, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday (Mar 2) that a Chinese citizen has been killed in Tehran, without providing additional details about the deceased’s gender or age.
More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have since been evacuated from Iran.
Speaking at a routine media conference, Chinese foreign affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the Chinese Embassy as well as consulates across Iran are assisting citizens to evacuate the country as soon as possible.
Mao added that Chinese embassies and consulates in other neighbouring countries have since dispatched teams to border crossings to provide assistance.
“In light of the current situation in Iran, we once again solemnly remind Chinese citizens in Iran to strengthen personal precautions, evacuate safely as soon as possible.”
The first batch of Chinese citizens were evacuated by land to southern Azerbaijan, according to Chinese state media reports.
Buses have also been arranged by Chinese embassy officials in Azerbaijan to ferry citizens from the border to the capital Baku.
Officials also shared several border crossing evacuation routes to nearby countries like Turkmenistan, Armenia, Iraq and Türkiye.
“The situation is changing rapidly and (we) will continue to monitor border conditions and provide updates,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement shared on the WeChat app.
Chinese citizens in Israel, on the other hand, have been advised to evacuate to safe areas within Israel, said China’s National Immigration Administration in a statement on WeChat.
They were warned to stay away from “military units, sensitive institutions and major transportation hubs like airports and train stations” and also avoid travelling to cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem.
EXPLOSIONS AND SHOCKWAVES
Chinese travellers shared harrowing encounters on the ground.
A Chinese tourist in Dubai, surnamed Chen, said explosions from intercepted missiles overhead caused shockwaves so strong that he could feel buildings vibrating slightly.
Chen, who is in Dubai with his wife and child, initially planned to head home to China by Kuwait.
“(The) boarding had just completed then, and just as we’re about to take off, the captain suddenly announced that the entire airspace was closed due to a ‘terrorist attack’ and other reasons,” Chen told the state-owned newspaper Beijing News.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/chinese-citizens-stranded-iran-war-dubai-missiles-united-states-israel-attack-5963746
