Twenty-year-old Miss Dana Bassett has been flown out of the war-torn Central African country.

She had been there as a student missionary, teaching US children.

Now she is in either Zaire or Kenya, said her mother Mrs. Carol Bassett, principal at Somerset Primary School.

Mrs. Bassett and her husband, Randall, received the good news from the Seventh Day Adventists in Washington DC.

The family, of St. Anne's Road, are staunch members of the church.

Said Mrs. Bassett yesterday: "I got a call at 3.45 p.m. today from the general conference of the Seventh Day Adventists.

"I was told all the missionaries are safe. They are hungry, but at least they are safe.

"The general conference will send two workers to meet the missionaries and bring them back.

"Obviously we are all very relieved. I've had a headache from all the worry.

We would like to thank everybody in Bermuda who has prayed for us.'' Mrs. Bassett said among those praying were teachers at Paget Primary and Berkeley Institute where Dana had been a pupil.

"Family and friends have also been praying. We are thankful to them, but most of all we are thankful to God.'' She added there were plans to fly the missionaries to America.

"Hopefully Dana will then come to Bermuda. She should be here in a few days.'' Mrs. Bassett said she had also spoken to Deputy Governor Mr. John Kelly who had contacted the Foreign Office in London which would be keeping track of Miss Bassett.

The office would inform Mr. Kelly about Dana, said Mrs. Bassett.

Miss Bassett went to Rwanda in September 1993. She was on an elementary education course at Oakwood College in Alabama, but took a year off to teach as a student missionary.

In her charge were American children aged 5 to 14.

Mrs. Bassett and her husband last heard from their daughter four days ago when she phoned them from her Rwanda apartment.

She had spoken of a "feeling of tension'' and an "uneasy quiet''.

"We are hoping she will be able to ring us again now she is safe,'' said Mrs.

Bassett.

More on Rwanda -- Page 7