Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that four, instead of five as earlier reported, of the nine kidnapped Chinese workers in Sudan had been killed.

Four others were rescued and the other one was still missing, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Nine Chinese workers from the China National Petroleum Corporation ( CNPC) were kidnapped in an oil field near the western Sudanese region of Darfur on Oct. 18.

The Sudanese side earlier reported to the Chinese embassy that five workers were killed on Monday, with two rescued and two missing. It revised the numbers late Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2008)