NOUMEA, France—Tourists trapped by rioting, looting and separatist roadblocks in crisis-wracked New Caledonia expressed joy that they may soon be rescued after the first military evacuation flights landed on Tuesday.
For the last week, Australian tourist Maxwell Winchester and his wife Tiffany have been barricaded into a normally idyllic hill resort outside the capital Noumea.As gunfire rattled down the valley and smoke spewed from nearby towns, they faced a fearful wait for help as supplies of food slowly dwindled.'Every night, we had to sleep with one eye open,' Winchester told AFP. 'Every noise, we were worried that they were coming in to loot us.
The Pacific territory of 270,000 people has been in turmoil since May 13, when violence erupted over French plans to impose new voting rules that would give tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents voting rights. AFP PHOTOFor those hundreds, the sight of a Royal Australian Air Force C130 Hercules landing at the city's Magenta airport on Tuesday will have brought overwhelming relief.
Caledonia Tourists 'Ecstatic' As Rescue Planes Arrive
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