Nearly 16,000 Chinese citizens were evacuated from Libya till 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Among them, about 7,000 people have arrived the third countries, about 700 people were back to China and about 8,300 people were on the way to the third countries.

The Ministry said Chinese embassies in Greece, Tunisia and Egypt were endeavoring to well accommodate the 7,000 people who arrived in those countries, among which, about 4,300 people were in the Crete Island of Greece, 2,900 people were in the Island of Djerba in Tunisia, and some were in Egypt.

Roughly 5,100 people were being evacuated through large cruise ships chartered by China, among which, about 2,900 people were going to the Crete Island and 2,200 people were for Malta. Another 3,200 people were in Libya's Benghazi, waiting for a vessel to take them to the Crete Island.

The Ministry said relevant departments of the Chinese government and Chinese embassies are coordinating chartered planes and commercial flights to send those temporarily accommodated people back to China as soon as possible.

On Saturday morning, Air China and China's Hainan Airlines sent one chartered plane separately to the Crete Island. Two chartered planes of the Eastern Airlines took off for Malta and one chartered plane of the Southern Airlines took off for the Island of Djerba to pick up those evacuated.