Second woman killed in shark attack off Egypt's Red Sea coast
Diving, snorkelling, wind surfing, kite sailing have been banned in the area while the attacks are investigated.
Sunday 3 July 2022 16:42, UK
A second woman has been killed in a shark attack off Egypt's Red Sea coast.
The body of a Romanian tourist in her late forties was discovered near the resort of Hurghada, just hours after a separate fatal attack on a 68-year-old Austrian woman.
Both attacks happened within 600 metres of each other, off the coast of Sahl Hasheesh, and video posted online suggests a mako shark was involved in at least one incident.
The Governor of the Red Sea Governorate, Major General Amr Hanafi, has issued an order to suspend all activity in the area surrounding the attacks.
All "sea activities" have been banned, including diving, snorkelling, wind surfing, kite sailing and fishing boats.
Shark attacks are rare in the area, with the latest incidents believed to be the first since 2020.
The Austrian woman had been swimming when she was attacked, losing a leg and an arm.
She was barely alive by the time she arrived at a nearby hospital and died shortly afterwards, according to an Egyptian health official.
Video posted online indicated that the woman was attacked by a mako shark while she was close to the shore.
Hurghada, a resort town which stretches about 25 miles along Egypt's Red Sea coast, is particularly well-known for scuba diving.
The attacks come as the resort was starting to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Egypt's Ministry of Environment said in its statement that a committee had been formed to examine the circumstances of the attacks and any scientific reasons behind them.