Cairo, March 1 (IANS) Two Chinese workers who were Thursday kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from the Egyptian capital have been released, officials said.
Chen Jiannan, deputy head of the Chinese People Association in Egypt, told Xinhua the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 500,000 Egyptian pounds (around $83,000) for their release.
The two stone factory workers were just leaving their residence in Maadi district in southern Cairo for the work site in the morning when they were kidnapped.
A Chinese embassy official said the workers were released in Giza in the west of Cairo around noon. They were safe and have returned to their rented house in Cairo.
It was, however, not sure whether the ransom was paid. Nor was it clear who had kidnapped the workers.
The Chinese embassy said crimes such as carjacking and robbery have been on the rise after last year’s protests, and advised Chinese nationals living in Egypt to take precautions.
