CAIRO - Two Chinese workers who were kidnapped on Thursday morning have been released, a Chinese embassy official said.

The two Chinese were released safe in Giza, west of Cairo around noon. They have returned to their rented house in southern Cairo.

The workers were kidnapped by gunmen early Thursday morning right after they left their residence.

Crimes such as carjacking and robbery are on the rise in Egypt after the eruption of large-scale turmoil last year. The Chinese embassy advised Chinese citizens living in Egypt to heed the rising crime rate and take precautions.