A 38-year-old Japanese woman was found dead Saturday morning on a street in central Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, police and other sources said.
The body of the woman, who was working as a Japanese-language instructor, showed signs of possible strangulation, while her purse and other belongings were missing, according to the sources.
The police have started an investigation, suspecting that the woman may have been robbed and killed.
The woman was identified by the police as Chie Suzuki, who worked at a Mongolian-Russian school for primary and secondary school students. The school said she had been working there for five years teaching Japanese.
Suzuki had a meal at a friend's place Friday night and went home alone at around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to the sources. The friend asked local police to search for her after she could not be contacted Saturday.