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Shark kills and eats man in full view of beach at tourist resort, as victim cries out 'dad' to his helpless father watching on
8 June 2023, 20:35 | Updated: 9 June 2023, 10:18
Read the latest: Killer shark that ate tourist at beach in Egypt caught and paraded by fishermen - who punch and kick its dead body
A man has died after being attacked by a shark in the sea off an Egyptian tourist resort.
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The Russian man died after an attack by a tiger shark near the city of Hurghada, according to Egypt's environment ministry.
A 46-mile stretch of the coastline was closed, with authorities announcing that it would remain off limits until Sunday.
Officials added that they had caught the shark and said they were examining to work out why it had carried out the attack, which they said was rare.
The Russian consulate in Hurghada confirmed the man was a Russian citizen but did not give his name. Russian media named him as 23-year-old Vladimir Popov.
Russian outlet Baza reported that Mr Popov had been living with his father in Egypt for several months. Mr Popov shouted out 'dad' as he was mauled to death.
Local media reported that the shark also ate Mr Popov.
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A graphic video of the attack, shows several people swimming away from the shark. They all reach safety, other than Mr Popov, who is seen thrashing about in the water before being repeatedly attacked by a shark circling around him, then being dragged under.
Shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea coastal regions.
However, in 2022 there were two fatal attacks in Hurghada within days, killing an Austrian and a Romanian tourist.
Egypt's Red Sea resorts, including Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh, boast some of the country's most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European tourists.
Divers are attracted by the steep drop-offs of coral reefs just offshore, which offer a rich and colourful sea life.
Read more: Shark attack that killed British tourist officially classed as 'provoked incident'
Egypt has in recent years sought to revive the vital tourism sector, which has been hurt by years of political instability, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Tiger sharks are large species that reside in tropical and temperate waters and are among sharks most cited by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked attacks on humans.