Foreign Ministry Aids Volcano Ash Stranded Bulgarians
Diplomacy | April 20, 2010, Tuesday // 13:25| viewsBulgarians stranded at airports all over the world by the volcano ash cloud turn for assistance to the Bulgarian missions abroad. Photo by BGNES
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry is helping Bulgarians abroad stranded at airports by the volcano ash cloud that enveloped Europe.
So far more than 200 Bulgarians have turned for help to the Bulgarian embassies and consulates after the volcano-ash crisis emerged, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
“Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry is unable to find alternative transportation for all Bulgarians left grounded at airports across Europe, but is ready to provide logistical help, including accommodation and food,” stated the Ministry's spokesperson Vesela Cherneva.
The Ministry informed that the Bulgarian municipality of Pleven has managed to provide a bus to bring home from London on Wednesday a group of high-school students, who have already been provided with food by the Bulgarian embassy there.
A group of 12 other Bulgarians, left stranded in the British capital by the volcano crisis have also asked for assistance and Bulgaria's embassy in London has managed to find them accommodation.
Some 25 students from a Bulgarian youth football team, weather-bound in Portugal, were transported on Monday by bus from the city of Porto to Lisbon where they are expected to board a plane to Sofia.
Over ten other Bulgarians have been stranded in Munich by the volcano ash cloud.
The Bulgarian embassy in Germany has informed them about alternative means of transportation as well as on the agreement that Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry has recently sealed with Serbia for Bulgarian citizens to cross the border only with their Ids.
Five Bulgarians, four of whom children, have been accommodated in the Bulgarian embassy in Paris. A group of 14 other Bulgarian citizens has been transported by bus from Germany to Sofia.
Bulgaria's national hockey team remained stuck in Mexico City as their flight to Europe was canceled.
Over sixty-three thousand flights have been canceled throughout Europe as a result of the volcanic air pollution. The flight bans came amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles - can seriously damage aircraft engines. A total of 313 airports had been paralyzed by the restrictions and the global backlog had affected more than 6.8 million travelers.
An extraordinary meeting of EU transport ministers was called on Monday by the Spanish Minister of Public affairs Jose Blanco in an attempt to resolve the air crisis caused by the drifting ashes of an Icelandic that erupted earlier that month.
Sofia Airport has reported on Tuesday that flights have been resumed to some European destinations including Vienna, Prague and Bucharest.
It was confirmed at 20:10 Monday evening that Bulgarian air space is fully open following the major disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud over the weekend.
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