Shark attack kills tourist in Egyptian resort

There are sharks in Red Sea but encounters with them are relatively rare

By Our Correspondent
December 30, 2024
This representational picture shows a shark underwater. — Unsplash/File
This representational picture shows a shark underwater. — Unsplash/File

CAIRO: One tourist was killed and another was injured in a shark attack in Egypt’s Marsa Alam resort, the environment ministry said in a statement on Sunday without giving the nationalities of those involved.

There are sharks in the Red Sea but encounters with them are relatively rare.

The ministry said the attack occurred in deep water outside the designated swimming zone near the jetties in northern Marsa Alam, adding that swimming out from the jetties was prohibited and the jetties would be closed for two days from Monday.

Marsa Alam is an Egyptian coastal town known for its coral reefs, marine life and beaches.

The last similar incident was in June 2023 when a tiger shark killed a Russian national in Hurghada, another coastal city on the Red Sea north of Marsa Alam. Last month a tourist boat capsized in the same area, leaving four dead and seven missing.