26 August, 2017
Russia's ambassador to Sudan has been found dead in the swimming pool at his home.
Russia's ambassador to Sudan, Mirgayas Shirinsky, has reportedly died of a heart attack, becoming the eighth Russian diplomat to pass away unexpectedly in the past 09 months.
Although his death is not suspicious, Shirinsky is the fourth Russian diplomat to die in service in the past year.
His body was found in his pool in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, about 6pm on Wednesday, according to Russian foreign office spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Sudanese police said a preliminary investigation indicated Mirgayas Shirinsky had died of natural causes.
The diplomat, who was 62 years old, appeared to have symptoms consistent with a serious heart seizure, Konyashin said, adding that doctors were immediately called to the scene, but were unable to save his life. In the early 1990s, he served as minister-counsellor at Russia's embassy in Yemen, and was later appointed consul general to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In February, Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin died suddenly in his NY office.
The Sudan Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by news agencies that Mr. Shirinsky "died this evening at his Khartoum residence" without providing a cause of death, reported the New York Times. "We express honest condolences to his family and loved ones".
And in December, Russia's ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot dead at an art exhibit in Ankara by a police officer.
