Russian citizen mauled to death by tiger shark off Egypt’s Red Sea coast in rare attack

CAIRO (AP) — A Russian man died after being mauled by a shark on Thursday off one of Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, Egyptian and Russian authorities said.

Egypt’s environment ministry said the man was killed after being attacked by a tiger shark in waters near the city of Hurghada. Authorities have closed a 74 kilometer (46 mile) stretch of coastline, announcing it will remain off limits until Sunday.

The ministry later said it had caught the shark and was examining it in a lab to try to determine the reasons for the rare attack.

The Russian consulate in Hurghada identified the man as a Russian citizen but did not give his name.

A video circulating online, allegedly of the attack, shows a man struggling in the water before being repeatedly attacked by an circling shark and then being dragged under it.

Shark attacks are rare in the coastal regions of the Red Sea. However, in 2022, two fatal attacks in Hughada in a few days, killing an Austrian tourist and a Romanian.

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, including Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, boast some of the country’s most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European tourists. Divers are drawn to the steep drop-offs of the coral reefs just offshore, which provide rich and colorful marine life.

Egypt has sought in recent years to revive the vital tourism sector, battered by years of political instability, the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine.

Tiger sharks are large species that reside in tropical and temperate waters and are among the most cited sharks by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked attacks on humans.

Leave a Comment