Evacuation from Iran: First 30 km out of Tehran took 4 hours, witness says

The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has raised concerns among Chinese people over the safety of their overseas compatriots. Wang Boyang, secretary-general of the Iran Federation of Overseas Chinese Association, told China News Network on Friday that it took four hours to travel the first 30 kilometers out of Tehran due to traffic congestion caused by the surging number of people leaving the city amid the conflict.

The evacuation caused the fuel crisis in Tehran, with queues stretching 2 to 3 kilometers at nearly every station. Some people waited more than an hour, and most stations either ran out of fuel or imposed strict limits at just 5 to 15 liters per vehicle, Wang recalled.

Except for Chinese passport holders, citizens from Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as foreign spouses of Chinese citizens are also included in the evacuation, he said, adding that although the evacuation was fraught with difficulties, the outcome was ultimately positive.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, a total of 3,125 Chinese citizens have been safely evacuated from Iran.(Zhang Dongfang)