Stranded Chinese tourists begin journey home

Passengers of delayed VIM Airlines flights at Domodedovo International Airport, on Sept 26, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

No sleep for 30 hours

A tourist surnamed Li told China Central Television that she and her fellow passengers hadn't slept for almost 30 hours.

"We couldn't check into a hotel near the airport because our durations of stay expired last night, so we have to stay in the airport and wait for news," she said.

Jiang said the embassy had resolved the duration of stay issue with Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We have started to send Chinese tourists who were trapped in Russia back to China, group by group, and those who are waiting for flights are able to live in a hotel as the Russian government has given them extra time," she said.

Besides Moscow, about 360 Chinese tourists have been stranded in the airport in Liege, Belgium.

Christian Delcourt, the airport spokesman, said those tourists were due to take a flight on Monday morning.

"About 180 tourists from China have already checked into hotels, but half of them are still waiting in the airport," he said.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn