Red Cross nurse dies of Ebola in Sierra Leone

Gloves are left to dry after an Ebola training session held by Spain's Red Cross in Madrid October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Susana Vera

The international Red Cross says a local employee has died of Ebola in Sierra Leone, becoming the first Red Cross worker or volunteer to succumb to the disease there.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the male nurse who worked at an Ebola treatment center in Kenema, whom it didn't identify, died Tuesday and was confirmed to have been suffering from the disease.

It said Thursday it is investigating how the man became infected and whether it happened at home or at work. The agency said 29 people who had contact with him are being monitored for symptoms.

Sierra Leone has seen 3,062 deaths attributed to Ebola in the yearlong outbreak, which has killed 8,414 in West Africa's three worst-affected countries.