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.<br /><br />Egypt’s Environment Ministry said the man was killed after being attacked by a tiger shark in the waters near the city of Hurghada. Authorities closed off a 74-kilometer (46-mile) stretch of the coastline, announcing it will remain off-limits until Sunday.<br /><br />The ministry later said it had caught the shark and was examining it in a laboratory to try and determine the reasons for the rare attack.<br /><br />The Russian Consulate in Hurghada identified the man as a Russian citizen but did not give his name.<br /><br />A video circulating online, purportedly of the attack, shows a man thrashing about in the water before being repeatedly attacked by a shark circling him, then being dragged under.<br /><br />Shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea coastal regions. However, in 2022, two fatal attacks in Hurghada within days, killing an Austrian and a Romanian tourist.<br /><br />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 attracted by the steep drop-offs of coral reefs just offshore, which offer rich and colorful sea life.<br /><br />Egypt has in recent years sought to revive the vital tourism sector, hurt by years of political instability, the coronavirus pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.<br /><br />Tiger sharks are large species that reside in tropical and temperate waters and are among the sharks most cited by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked attacks on humans.
