MISURATA, Libya - As Ahmod Essreati helped evacuate 2,100 Chinese nationals on Monday morning, military helicopters suddenly flew over Libya's third largest city, gunfire erupted and bombs exploded.

Then his mobile phone rang, and his beloved wife pleaded: "We are scared, and you should come back home with us."

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After comforting his wife, Essreati continued to keep order, assisting customs officers checking passports and saying goodbye to his teary-eyed Chinese friends.

In spite of the dangers, Essreatis and his colleagues are working as volunteers to help foreigners still stranded in the port city. Essreatis said he and around 10 other volunteers have offered food, tents, quilts and even temporary lavatories to stranded foreigners.

"The foreigners need our help, and we know how to keep them safe and so I seldom go home these days," said Essreati, 50, who has four children.

Misurata is basically under the control of the opposition party. Gunshots can occasionally be heard. "Every time when this happens, my wife will call me to come home, but I cannot," Essreati said.

A line of tents for 500 Chinese workers has been built in the port city's Raser Ahamed district, which is two km away from the port.

By the time the Chinese left for Crete Island of Greece, the tents were empty.

Seeing this, Moufth Shkeh, another lawyer, said: "I am sad."

Shkeh, 55, said Chinese workers have been in his city building universities, residential houses, roads, office buildings and railways. "Once the situation has become stable, I hope they can come back soon."

In addition to helping Chinese, Shkeh says his friends are also assisting Bangladeshis, Koreans and other people across the world. "We are human beings; we hate bloodshed " Shkeh said, sobbing with sadness.

Apart from the lawyers, volunteers from the Libyan Red Cross Society have also joined the efforts in evacuating the Chinese and other nationalities.

There are around 7,000 Chinese working in this port city of western Libya. All were expected to be evacuated by Monday.

China Daily