Australians are stranded in a Cairo hotel after worsening street violence kept them from escaping strife-torn Egypt on a federal government evacuation plane.
The 24 Australians holed-up in the Conrad Hotel were unable to join 100 compatriots who were expected on the government's second charter flight to Frankfurt on Friday afternoon, Australian time.
"These passengers will be transported to the airport as soon as it is possible to do so safely," the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said on Friday.
"The government will ensure that all Australians that wish to leave Cairo will have means to do so over the coming days."
Australian journalists and diplomats have been targeted in the latest violence to grip the country.
World leaders condemned what appeared to be a concerted campaign by President Hosni Mubarak's loyalists to shut down international reporting of the unrest that has been raging for 10 days.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd raised the harassment of journalists - including correspondents from the ABC, Nine Network and The Australian - with Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
"This is not acceptable and that message was delivered very clearly," Mr Rudd told Sky News. Australian consular staff had also been targeted, Mr Rudd revealed.
"A number of them, half a dozen of them, ran foul of some vigilantes today," he said.
"And we had some worrying moments making sure they could be safely returned to the embassy."
DFAT said the seven officials had been stopped at a "civilian checkpoint" while travelling from the embassy to the airport.
"Local police officials intervened and accompanied the group and their vehicles to a near-by police station," DFAT said.
"Our ambassador contacted Egyptian authorities and all officials were released."
ABC Foreign Correspondent host Mark Corcoran and his film crew reportedly were attacked and robbed while the hotel room of The Australian's John Lyons was ransacked.
Nine News journalist Peter Stefanovic said he was lucky to escape unharmed after he and his cameraman James Gilling were dragged from a taxi by police and pro-government rioters.
They were eventually let go unharmed, but other international journalists had been beaten and stabbed, Stefanovic said.
"It's too dangerous for us to leave right now because of what's going on out there and because journalists are being targeted at the moment," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence in the strongest terms.
"Let me be totally clear: this is outrageous and totally unacceptable, it must stop now," Mr Ban said as the UN began evacuating its staff from the country.
Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute said they were appalled by the violence. Australia's latest evacuation flight was delayed after the Qantas plane experienced mechanical faults in Frankfurt.
"The possibility of further charter flights remains under review," DFAT said. About 200 Australians arrived in Frankfurt on Wednesday after escaping Cairo on the government's first evacuation flight.
Ten people have been killed, including one foreigner, and more than 800 injured in the latest round of violence which erupted after Mr Mubarak declared he intended to hold on to power until elections in September.
Anti-government protesters want him gone immediately.
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