June 8 (Portal) – A Russian national was killed in a shark attack near a beach in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the Russian consulate general in the city and two Egyptian security sources said on Thursday.
Egypt’s Environment Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook that a tiger shark was responsible for the death of a beach visitor, without disclosing the victim.
A team from the ministry and other agencies managed to capture the shark, the statement said. Local authorities have issued a ban on swimming, snorkeling and other water sports on several beaches near the site of the attack.
A diver who arrived at the scene immediately after the attack said people rushed to the victim’s aid after a lifeguard at a nearby hotel sounded the alarm, but were unable to reach him in time.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, the person killed was a Russian born in 1999 who lived full-time in Egypt and was not a tourist.
In a statement published on its official channel via the Telegram news application, the consulate urged Russian tourists to be vigilant in the water and strictly abide by any bathing bans imposed by local authorities.
Reporting by Portal reporters. Edited by Andrew Osborn and Leslie Adler
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