Niger crisis deepens as more European nations evacuate

French nationals gather as they wait to be airlifted back to France on a French military aircraft, at the international airport in Niamey, Niger (Sam Mednick/AP/PA)

France, Italy and Spain announced evacuations from Niger for their citizens and other European nationals on Tuesday.

They are concerned that they risk becoming trapped by a military coup that won backing from three other West African nations also ruled by mutinous soldiers.