50 more civilians rescued from besieged Mariupol steel plant

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian government officials say 50 more civilians have been rescued from the tunnels under a besieged steel plant in Mariupol where Ukrainian fighters have been making their last stand to prevent Moscow’s complete takeover of the port city.

The Russian Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Center, a government agency, issued a statement saying 11 children were among the 50 people rescued from the Azovstal steel plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, confirmed that 50 “women, children and elderly people” managed to leave the sprawling complex, and she and the Russian agency said rescue efforts would continue on Saturday.