A foreign tourist was killed and another injured by a shark off Egypt’s Red Sea, the Egyptian Environment Ministry announced on Sunday.
“Two foreigners were attacked in the region (…) of Marsa Alam by a shark which injured one of them and killed the other,” the ministry said in a statement. The two tourists were taken to Port Ghalib hospital in the Red Sea governorate.
Authorities decided to close the area to swimming for two days following the incident, which the ministry said occurred in “deep water outside the bathing area.”
The Egyptian government did not indicate the nationality of the victims.
The Red Sea coast is an important tourist destination in Egypt. It is also a key employer and a source of foreign currency for this country of 107 million inhabitants which is experiencing a serious economic crisis.
Sharks are not rare in the Red Sea but they only attack swimmers very exceptionally if they do not exceed the authorized limits.
In June 2023, a Russian was killed by a shark off the coast of Hurghada, on the Red Sea, according to authorities.
