The 29 Chinese workers kidnapped last month in Sudan have boarded a plane chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an ICRC source told Xinhua Tuesday.

The plane is expected to fly to Nairobi, where they will be handed over to the Chinese embassy after 11 days in captivity.

The release followed a stream of intensive rescue efforts carried out by the Chinese government in collaboration with the Sudanese government and other parties.

On Jan. 28, a group of gunmen belonging to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector attacked the camp of a Chinese company operating at a road construction site in South Kordofan State.

A total of 47 Chinese workers were in the camp then, among whom 29 were abducted by the assailants while the other 18 managed to escape.

Among the latter, 17 were later found by the Sudanese army and transferred to a safe place, and one was confirmed killed after having for days been unaccounted for.

Sudanese authorities on Tuesday handed over the body of the dead Chinese worker to the Chinese side.

Besides the incident in Sudan, 25 Chinese workers were held by some local Egyptians on Jan. 31 in norther Sinai. Thanks to joint efforts by the Chinese and Egyptian governments, the Chinese workers were released some 15 hours later.

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