Yahoo Finance Shark kills second tourist in Egypt’s Red Sea
A second woman has been killed in a shark attack on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast, within 600 metres of a fatal incident involving an Austrian tourist.
The body of a 40-year-old Romanian woman was found off the coast of Sahl Hasheesh hours after the Austrian woman, 68, had her arm and leg torn off.
The Austrian tourist has been named by her local Green Party in Kramsach as Elisabeth Sauer, who served as a councillor from 1998 to 2004. Mrs Sauer was rushed to hospital, but later succumbed to her injuries and shock.
Authorities closed several beaches across the Red Sea Coast after the two fatal attacks.
All sea activities and watersports were halted for three days. A ban has also been placed on fishing boats on the waters off the city of Hurghada.
Videos shared online suggest that a Mako shark was involved in at least one of the incidents - likely the first - and appeared to be filmed from a nearby pier, though The Telegraph could not immediately verify the footage.
Egyptian authorities have formed a committee to investigate the incidents, which took place in a major tourist hotspot. Sharks - especially Mako sharks - are not usually found near the shore of the Red Sea coast, leaving open the possibility that a man-made cause could have enticed them further in.
An estimated 65 per cent of the tourists visiting Egypt holiday in the Red Sea region.
The task force was set up to “identify the scientific causes and circumstances behind the attacks” and to determine the “reasons behind the shark’s behaviour that resulted in the incident,” according to a statement posted on Facebook by Egypt’s environment ministry.
Attacks in the region are rare
It was not immediately clear if the authorities believe the attacks were carried out by the same shark.
While shark attacks in the region are rare, at least five tourists have been killed and four others injured in shark attacks since 2010.
Red Sea resorts are famous for divers, attracted by the coral reefs not far from the shore.
