KYIV, Sept 30 - An American woman working at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv died after a suspected assault in a park near the mission, authorities said, and a search was underway for the possible perpetrator, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian police said a passerby found the woman unconscious with a head injury, wearing running gear and headphones in the area of western Kyiv. She was taken to hospital, where she died.

Police added they were seeking a dark-haired man aged between 30-40, who wore dark shorts and a T-shirt, and may have been involved in beating the American woman.

In a statement, the U.S. embassy, which employs about 181 Americans and more than 560 locals, said it was working with Ukrainian authorities to determine what happened.

“We are heartbroken to report the death of an American member of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv community,” the statement said. “Officials from U.S. Embassy Kyiv are currently working with authorities to determine the circumstances of the death.”

The woman’s identity and job were not given.

According to one US source, the woman killed was the wife of a US foreign service officer, and had a non-diplomatic job in the embassy, The Guardian reported.

Interior Ministry spokesman Artem Shevchenko posted pictures of the scene on Facebook, showing the woman had been found by railway tracks next to a wooded area.

“The National Police of Ukraine is investigating her death as a deliberate murder ... but an accidental death is not ruled out. The body was in sports clothes and wearing headphones,” he said in a statement.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Washington, Volodymyr Yelchenko, urged quick resolution and prosecution.

Kyiv is seen by American diplomats as a relatively safe place to be posted. There have been incidences of harassment and break-ins, the source said, usually attributed to Russian intelligence working in Ukraine, but no physical attacks in recent years. (rt/ez)