A Russian man has died after being mauled by a tiger shark near the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, authorities have confirmed. The attack occurred on Thursday, prompting officials to close a 46-mile (74km) stretch of coastline until Sunday.
Egypt's environment ministry stated that the shark was captured and is being examined in a laboratory to determine the reasons for the rare attack. The Russian consulate in Hurghada identified the victim as a Russian citizen born in 1999, who lived in Egypt full-time and was not a tourist.
A video circulating online purportedly shows the man thrashing in the water before being repeatedly attacked and dragged under. A diver who arrived shortly after said lifeguards raised the alarm, but rescuers could not reach the victim in time.
The consulate urged Russian tourists to remain vigilant and adhere to swimming bans. Shark attacks are uncommon in the Red Sea, though two women were killed in separate incidents near Hurghada in 2022.
Egypt's Red Sea resorts, including Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, are popular with European tourists and divers. The country has been working to revive its tourism sector, which has suffered from political instability, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.
