The Ukrainian Navy ship Konstantin Olshanskiy has arrived in Grand Harbour with 193 workers and their families evacuated from Libya.

The workers, of various nationalities, were picked up from the Tripoli area. Among them are 22 Britons and 20 Americans.

British High Commissioner Louise Stanton, who was at the Valletta Waterfront, said many of the workers had initially decided to stay in Libya but had now changed their mind.

Some of the evacuees said they had decided to leave because of the worsening situation in Tripoli, with increased tension and petrol and food shortages.

Some 16,000 workers from Libya were evacuated to Malta last month.