Doctor reports two cases of ‘accidental’ shooting

A Maltese doctor, who was based on the Libyan coast, yesterday returned home aboard a German chartered ferry that brought in more than 500 evacuees.

“All I saw were two cases of accidental gunshot wounds... They were two men who rushed through a checkpoint... but both were fine,” Joseph Galea told a crowd of journalists soon after stepping off the German ferry, Express Santorini.

He said that the place where he worked was far from Tripoli and Benghazi and the only signs of unrest he came across were the two foreigners who were shot because they did not slow down at a nearby checkpoint.

Dr Galea was the only Maltese on board the German ferry and explained he had been working in Libya for 14 years and was “not in a hurry to return”.

When he decided to come back home he chose to take the nearest route, so rather than travel to Tripoli he caught the ferry that left from the northern Libyan port of Ras Lanuf where he was based. “The trip was fine and without problems,” he said adding his Maltese colleague was expected to arrive soon on another ferry.

Dr Galea did not wish to go into sensitive issues that could affect the well-being of those still in Libya but added he was impressed by the help he received from the Maltese authorities.

The Santorini also brought evacuees of various nationalities including Germans, Serbians, Croatians and Filipinos. Aboard there were also 15 UK nationals who were greeted by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, on their arrival.

The duke happened to be in Malta for an official visit that had been planned before the Libya protests started. He was here as the president of the Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission.

Meanwhile, all except for one of the 2,243 Chinese evacuees who were on the first Chinese government chartered ferry trip from Tripoli, returned home, the Chinese Embassy said.

The embassy said the person still in Malta was receiving medical treatment. By yesterday evening, 3,066 evacuees were transferred back to China through Malta.

Air Malta maintained its suspension of operations to and from Tripoli Airport saying the decision was taken following a review of the situation.

About 400 people, including 130 Russian workers, were evacuated from Libya and will be brought to Malta on the ferry Sveti Stefan this morning while a Virtù Ferries catamaran was expected in last night with 132 on board, including two Maltese.

Six Maltese women married to Libyans arrived in Malta with their four children on board a private jet from Tripoli on Monday night. Their husbands had chosen to remain behind.