Freed Algeria terror hostages speak of fears for colleagues
BRITISH workers who escaped the hostage crisis in Algeria spoke of their fears for colleagues amid reports that around 30 foreign nationals were still caught up in the crisis.
Security sources told Algerian state news agency APS that nearly 100 overseas workers had been "released" - and put the total originally seized by Islamist militants at 132.
At least 10 UK citizens are understood to remain "at risk" as local efforts continue to end the terrorist attack at a remote desert gas facility.
APS said the unconfirmed figures also put at 573 the number of Algerians "freed" by special forces and efforts to force out the militants were going on.
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It remains unclear how many of those still in the complex are alive.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would do "everything we can to hunt down" those behind the "brutal and savage" episode which is well into its third day.
But he publicly expressed his frustration that he had not been pre-warned of the special forces assault, in which some foreign workers were killed.
The Algerian government said an unspecified number of foreigners had been killed.
It was reported that two UK workers were among the casualties, which would bring the British death toll to three after one was killed in Wednesday's initial raid by Islamist militants.
The foreign hostages are from eight different countries.
Footage of several British workers said to have escaped the siege has been shown on Algerian state television.
"I feel safe at the moment but I won't feel 100% happy until I'm back in the UK," one man said.
"My heart goes out to the guys that are still there and hopefully everyone comes home safe because, at the end of the day, it's only work."
The Foreign Office has sent a plane carrying consular crisis staff to within 280 miles of the facility amid continued efforts by joint operator BP and the Government to evacuate UK workers.
There are also reports from a Mauritanian news site that the militants are demanding the release of two terror figures in US jail, including 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for the release of two US captives.
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