A Chinese construction worker was stabbed to death by an Algerian in a Chinese restaurant Tuesday night in the western Algerian city of Oran, according to a report by Oran Daily on Thursday.

The owner of the restaurant Zhang Shanbai and other witnesses said three Algerian young men in their twenties stayed in the restaurant until midnight, when all other customers had left.

They pretended to pay the bill, but suddenly took out a small chemical sprayer and sprayed the people around them. One of them broke into the rear part of the restaurant and Qin Liguo, totally unexpectedly, received fatal stabs and later died.

Qin worked with a Sino-Algerian joint-venture construction corporation and was a relative of the restaurant owner.

Three other Chinese received minor injuries while fighting with the young men.

All of the three have been arrested by local police. They said they had no money to pay for the meal and had quarrels with waiters before the attack.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2005)