BEIJING--A Russian man died of A(H1N1) or swine flu in Beijing after flying here from his home country, local health authorities said Tuesday.

The man is the first reported foreign victim of the pandemic flu virus in China.

The 32-year-old arrived in China on October 28 and was admitted to hospital four days later with respiratory failure and other serious symptoms, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said on its website.

He was diagnosed with A(H1N1) flu on Monday and died the same day, the bureau said.

China’s health ministry said on Monday that seven people had so far died from the virus in China but it was not immediately clear whether the Russian was included in that tally.

About 49,000 cases of swine flu were recorded in China, according to the ministry.