AFP, CAIRO
A shark attack off Egypt’s Red Sea coast killed a tourist and injured another, authorities said on Sunday, with an Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs source identifying both as Italian nationals.
“Two foreigners were attacked by a shark in the northern Marsa Alam area, which led to the injury of one and the death of the other,” the Egyptian Ministry of Environment said in a statement.
A source at the Italian foreign ministry said that the man killed was a 48-year-old resident of Rome. The injured man was 69 years old.
A fisherman carries a shark to market in Manta, Ecuador, on Sept. 24.
Photo: AP
They were both taken to hospital in Port Ghalib, about 50km north of Marsa Alam, the Egyptian ministry said.
Authorities have closed the area to swimmers for two days following the incident, which the ministry said occurred in “deep waters outside the designated swimming area.”
The Red Sea is a major tourist destination whose marine life makes it popular with divers.
It is also a key employer and source of foreign currency for Egypt, a nation of 107 million people trying to navigate out of its worst-ever economic crisis.
At least four people died last month when a large wave hit and capsized a dive boat carrying more than 30 tourists of various nationalities off Marsa Alam.
Deadly shark attacks are a near-yearly occurrence in Egypt’s Red Sea, where marine experts warn that unregulated construction, overfishing and irresponsible tourism practices contribute to changing the ecosystem and shark behavior.
A shark attack in June 2023 killed a Russian off the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada.
