ALSALLOUM, Egypt -- Eighty-three Chinese nationals were evacuated from turbulent Libya to Egypt early Wednesday. More Chinese nationals will be evacuated to Egypt through the border crossing, the Chinese Embassy said.

The first batch of Chinese citizens had crossed over the border after 11 hours of wait and were en route to Egypt's second largest city of Alexandria with the help of the Chinese Embassy, Zhang Zhizhong, consulate official at the Chinese Embassy says.

The Chinese nationals would fly back to China from Alexandria, Zhang said.

The Chinese nationals are business staff and construction laborers belonging to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), which had operations in Libya.

Meanwhile, China's first chartered plane to evacuate its nationals from Libya left Beijing Wednesday afternoon.

Carrying a joint task group of officials from various ministries, the chartered aircraft, an Air China Airbus A330-200, took off at about 5:15 p.m. with food, medicines and other necessities on board.

An Air China Airbus A330-200, takes off at about 5:15 p.m. with food, medicines and other necessities on board from Beijing,February 23,2011[Photo/Xinhua]

Since the unrest erupted in Libya on February 16, people had been attacked and there had been vandalism, looting and arson, and Chinese firms had been attacked and Chinese nationals injured, sources with the ministry said earlier.

A construction site run by Huafeng Construction Co., Ltd., based in Zhejiang Province, was reportedly looted by an armed group Sunday in the eastern city of Agedabia, and almost 1,000 Chinese workers were forced out of their on-site living quarters.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the situation and has instructed the Chinese Embassy in Libya to take every necessary measure to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations in Libya," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu at a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

Inspired by protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan protesters started to take to the streets early last week in a bid to end Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year-long rule, plunging the North African country into violent chaos and bloodshed.

Some Chinese workers in Libya said earlier that nearly all Chinese companies in the country were "attacked or looted." No casualties were reported yet.

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China on Tuesday urged Libya to take substantial measures to protect its compatriots and other foreign nationals in the unrest-hit country, and to facilitate their evacuation.

Li Baodong, permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the UN, said after a close-door Security Council meeting on Libya that China is "very concerned" about the current situation in Libya and hopes the country "can restore social stability and political order as soon as possible."

"I urge the Libyan government and all parties concerned to ensure life and property safety of Chinese and other foreign nationals in Libya, and call on all parties to enhance international cooperation and facilitate their evacuation," Li said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have ordered all-out efforts to ensure life and property safety of Chinese nationals in Libya.

Hu and Wen asked relevant authorities to take timely and effective measures to achieve the aim. An emergency center was also set up to organize the evacuation of the Chinese including people from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in Libya.