By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Jun 13 (IANS): A Russian national who worked in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) of Bangladesh has died, an official said on Monday, adding that a total of eight foreign employees connected to the project have passed away in the past six months.

The deceased, Ivanov Anton, 33, used to work as an employee of Rosem Company, a Russian contractor for the project.

He used to live in room number 126 on the 12th floor of building No 2 in the Green City residential area, a housing project for foreigners at Natun Hat in Sahapur of the Pbna upazila, Arbinda Sarkar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ishwardi police station, told IANS on Monday morning.

Ivanov fell unconscious in front of the elevator on the way back to his room after buying food from a restaurant near Green City on Sunday night.

Later, physicians at RNPP project declared him dead and handed his body to the police.

"Ivanov might have died of a cardiac arrest," the police official added.

Since March 26, six Russian, one Belarusian and a Kazak national have died at the RNPP site.

On April 15, BelarusianIvanu Maxim, 52, an employee of contractor firm Ruinwald of the under-construction project, was found dead at the Green City residential area.

On March 26, Kazakhstan national Vladimir Soviet was killed at a house in Ishwardi Rooppur Residential Project Green city.

Three Belarusian nationals employed with the Russian company Rossem, were detained over their involvement in Soviet's killing.

Two days later, a court in Pabna sent them to jail.