CAIRO — According to Egyptian and Russian officials, a Russian man died on Thursday after being bitten by a shark off the coast of an Egyptian Red Sea resort.
The guy was murdered, according to the Egyptian Environment Ministry, after being attacked by a tiger shark in the seas close to Hurghada. A 74-kilometer (46-mile) section of the coastline was declared off-limits by the authorities, who said it would be thus until Sunday.
Later, the ministry said that it had captured the shark and was studying it in a lab to try to understand the circumstances behind the unusual assault.
The individual was recognized as a Russian national by the Russian Consulate in Hurghada, although they withheld his name.
Online videos purporting to be of the incident show a guy struggling around in the water before being attacked repeatedly by sharks that circle him before being pulled beneath.
Shark attacks are uncommon along the Red Sea shore. An Austrian and a Romanian tourist were killed in two deadly attacks at Hughada in 2022, albeit, within a matter of days.
The Red Sea resort cities of Egypt, such as Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, are well-known for having some of the nation's best beaches and are well-liked by visitors from Europe. Divers are drawn to the coral reefs' nearby sheer drop-offs because they provide a rich and vibrant marine life.
In recent years, Egypt has worked to resurrect its key tourist industry, which has been negatively impacted by years of political unrest and the coronavirus outbreak.
The International Shark Attack File lists tiger sharks as one of the shark species most frequently mentioned for unprovoked attacks on people. Tiger sharks are huge species that live in tropical and temperate environments.
