99 Maltese nationals remain in Libya

Ninety-nine Maltese nationals remain in Libya at this point in time, although an unconfirmed number of Maltese will be landing in Malta this evening.

A commercial flight departing from the military airport in Mitiga, on the outskirts of Tripoli, is set to land in Malta at 10pm, according to the Malta International Airport’s website.

A total of five patients from Libya have been receiving medical care at Mater Dei Hosptial, with three of them brought to Malta onboard an air ambulance.

As the crisis escalates in Libya, citizens have ended up without bottled drinking water, electricity shortages on a daily basis that can last up to 15 hours and heat waves.

Italy has now offered to help extinguish a huge blaze that has engulfed the biggest fuel depot in the Libyan capital. Italy will send an aircraft and a team of experts to contain the blaze which has hit two tanks.

Libyan officials blame clashes between rival militias for starting the fire, described as "out of control".

Many people living in Tripoli are staying indoors, amid fears that the violence is spiralling out of control.

Contacted by MaltaToday, a government spokesman said the Maltese government had not received any requests for help after international media reported the oil-rich country was seeking foreign assistance to control the fire.