Wealthier Western and Asian states have sent ships to evacuate expatriate workers from this port since a bloody uprising against Muammar Gaddafi's rule erupted, while thousands of others, mostly from Africa and South Asia, are still stranded.

"There's no money, there's nothing," said Omar Chand, 50, a driver from India, as a light rain fell on the dock in this eastern city. "Maybe tomorrow a ship is coming. Maybe. It's not for sure."

An estimated 1.5 million foreigners work in Libya, drawn largely by oil and construction jobs from countries as varied as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malta, Australia, Brazil and Ghana.

Like many of the others who huddled with their blankets and suitcases, Chand did not have a passport with him. His company held on to it, and their offices had been torched during the uprising, he said.

Benghazi residents have set up kitchens and a hospital at the dock and have sent doctors to tend to stranded workers. Volunteers wearing badges bearing the monarchy-era flag adopted by the rebellion handed out tuna sandwiches to the crowds.

"When your neighbour is in difficulty, you should assist him, regardless of his race, his language, his religion," said Ali Buhedma, president of the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent at the Organisation of the Islamic Countries, who came to help coordinate the assistance.

"That's why these people -- they are engineers, they are businessmen, they are doctors -- are here."

Haitham Jadir, 36, a Libyan engineer helping the workers, estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 workers were stranded at the port and at a second site set up in the city's university campus, most of them from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ghana, Eritrea and other African and Asian countries.

Few had any idea if and when the workers would be able to leave.

"These people, there is no one asking about them," Jadir said. "All the directors for the Chinese and the Turkish companies ran and left the Bangladeshis, the Vietnamese, the Somalis, the African people.”

Flight

Rebels managed to oust forces loyal to Gaddafi from much of eastern Libya following a violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrations nearly two weeks ago. In the ensuing chaos, many companies operating in Libya pulled out their workers.

The British warship HMS Cumberland made its second stop in Benghazi on Sunday to evacuate Britons and some others. Soldiers patrolled a warehouse near the boat as fleeing workers queued to have their documents checked.

Many of the roughly 250 workers boarding the ship were fleeing from the oil fields south of Benghazi and had traveled hundreds of kilometres (miles) by bus to reach the port.

"I'd actually only been in the country about 13 days, on my first rotation, my first time working overseas," said Jon Wright, 45, a Canadian mechanic queuing to board. "I got into Libya, got onto the rig, and everything kind of turned upside down."

Wright said the road from the oil fields had been safe and that Libyans had assisted fleeing expatriates along their way.

Other workers described scenes of looting after the rule of law largely collapsed.

"We had no security. No security whatsoever," said Terry Hinz, 47, an Australian mechanic working for a drilling firm, adding looters stole a vehicle from his oilfield. "One pickup came in, one guy had an AK47, the other guy had a handgun".

"It makes you think you take a little bit for granted," he said. – Reuters