Russia’s ambassador to Sudan, who was found dead in a swimming pool at his residence, died of a heart attack, the Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday. He was 62.

“Everything happened around 6:00 pm local time. The Russian envoy was found in his residence with evidence of an acute heart attack,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Sudanese officials had announced the death of Mirgayas Shirinsky on Wednesday evening, saying that a preliminary investigation pointed to a natural death.

Shirinsky is the fourth Russian ambassador to die on the job over the last year, including the UN envoy Vitaly Churkin and India envoy Alexander Kadakin.

The ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was shot by an assailant in December 2016.

Embassy staff called an ambulance but “Shirinsky could not be saved,” Zakharova said.

He was a “great professional,” she added.

“He dedicated his life to diplomacy. We express sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Source: AFP