Fourteen Canadians evacuated from the embattled southern Lebanon city of Tyre have arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus -- far less than the hundreds expected by officials.

"It's the big question for the officials on the ground here in Cyprus, and to be frank, we're not getting an answer about the discrepancy," reported CTV News' Denelle Balfour from Larnaca.

"They do believe there were some 7,000 Canadians who had registered. They were prepared to bring back some 700 Canadians on the ferry and they had holding stations for them. And then, the number went down to 49 and now we're at 14."

Officials in Beirut had earlier said 49 Canadians left Tyre, but that number was corrected when the evacuees reached Larnaca Thursday morning local time.

The Canadians travelled with a total of 357 evacuees aboard the Princesa Marissa, escaping just before Israeli forces renewed their bombardments on the area.

Tyre is the nexus of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. Moments after the evacuees sailed away, reporters in the ancient port city told CNN a 10-storey building in a residential area was destroyed by rockets.

Plumes of smoke rose from the scene, and women, children and old men appeared to be among the victims, according to the reports.

Wednesday's evacuation from Tyre took place as an Israeli plane dropped a hail of leaflets on the area, warning residents of impending air strikes and to evacuate immediately.

Lt.-Col. Shane Brennan, who is leading a team of Canadian military experts which is helping with the evacuation, described the possible close call as "a little bit of excitement,'' but said the evacuation continued regardless.

The Princesa Marissa, a 1,000 passenger Cypriot cruiseliner, arrived in Tyre earlier Wednesday to evacuate Canadians and refugees of other nationalities.

The ship was chartered by the Canadian government to take evacuees to Cyprus where they will board planes for the return trip to Canada, said CTVvNews' Janis Mackey Frayer, reporting from Tyre.

She told CTV Newsnet that evacuees were relieved to be on their way out of the war-torn region.

"Many of them are looking extremely tired, extremely relieved, children are looking somewhat dazed," she told CTV Newsnet.

"People as they go to the other side of the gate, their faces are lifting a bit as they realize they're that much closer to being out of here."

It is believed that hundreds of Canadians may still be trapped in the southern part of the country, unable to make their way to Beirut because of the bombing damage done to many roads, and the danger of travelling in the open.

Mackey Frayer said she passed many bomb craters on the road from Beirut to Tyre -- some containing entire vehicles. At one point the road disappeared altogether, and she was forced to drive through a banana patch and dry river bed to avoid a section of road that was destroyed.

With a report by CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer, Denelle Balfour and files from The Canadian Press