Shark kills EU diplomat at Egyptian resort

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

One tourist was killed and another injured in a shark attack at the Egyptian resort of Marsa Alam, Egypt's ecology ministry said in a statement, without specifying the nationalities of the tourists. The Italian foreign ministry said the attacks were Italian nationals.

The ministry said the attack took place in deep water outside a swimming area near the piers in northern Marsa Alam, adding that swimming away from the piers was prohibited and that the piers would be closed for two days starting Monday.

According to Italian media, the shark killed EU diplomat Gianluca Di Gioia (48). Di Gioia worked for the European External Action Service. He was celebrating his birthday at the resort and was swimming with his friend Giuseppe Fapani (69) at the time of the attack.

Fapani's wife witnessed the incident. She told the local media how her husband swam towards Di Gioia to try to drive the shark away, but the shark attacked them both. Di Gioje's wife also witnessed the attack.

Sharks live in the Red Sea, but encounters with them are rare. Marsa Alam is an Egyptian coastal city known for its coral reefs, marine life and beaches. The last such incident occurred in 2023 when a shark killed a Russian citizen in Hurghada, another coastal city on the Red Sea north of Mars Alam.