Shark attack kills tourist in Egypt’s Marsa Alam resort

The environment ministry stated in a statement on Sunday that a shark attack in Egypt’s Marsa Alam resort had killed one tourist and injured another.

The Italian news agency ANSA and other Italian media reported that the two men involved were Italian, although the ministry did not specify their nationality.

Although they exist, shark encounters are not common in the Red Sea.

According to the ministry, the attack took place in deep water outside of the approved swimming area adjacent to the jetties in northern Marsa Alam. It also stated that swimming outside of the jetties was forbidden and that the jetties would be blocked starting Monday for two days.

The Egyptian seaside resort of Marsa Alam is well-known for its beaches, marine life, and coral reefs.

The last instance of this kind was in June 2023 in Hurghada, another Red Sea coastal city north of Marsa Alam, where a Russian national was killed by a tiger shark.

In the same region, a tourist boat overturned last month, killing four people and left seven more unaccounted for.