KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A Sudanese fruit seller died on Sunday after choking on tear gas fired at protesters in the market where he worked in Khartoum, his family members told Reuters.

Hundreds of protesters had been demonstrating nearby and a group of them entered the market where police fired tear gas. The 62-year-old fruit seller working there choked on the gas and later died in a hospital in Khartoum, his family said.

Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Protests have spread across Sudan since Dec. 19. The demonstrations were triggered by price increases and cash shortages but developed into protests against President Omar al-Bashir’s three-decade rule.

Activists say nearly 60 people have been killed in the protests, while the official death toll is 32, including three security personnel.