EU official killed in shark encounter at Egypt’s Marsa Alam resort
A fatal shark encounter at Egypt’s Marsa Alam resort has claimed the life of one tourist and injured another.
The tragic news was announced in a statement released by the environment ministry on Sunday.
And whilst the nationalities of the victims were not disclosed, Italian news outlets, including ANSA, reported that both individuals were Italian men.
Shark encounters in the Red Sea are uncommon, but the attack reportedly happened in deep water outside the designated swimming area near the jetties in northern Marsa Alam.
It's important to note that the ministry emphasised that swimming beyond these jetties was prohibited and announced their closure for two days starting Monday.
Marsa Alam, a popular coastal destination, is renowned for its coral reefs, marine biodiversity, and pristine beaches.
EU official Gianluca Di Gioia is the victim of a shark attack in Marsa Alam on the Red Sea
This incident follows a fatal encounter in June 2023, when a tiger shark killed 23-year-old Russian national Vladimir Popov in Hurghada, another Red Sea resort north of Marsa Alam.
That gained global notoriety as his fatal last moments were filmed and shared across social media and various news outlets, raising some serious questions about the ethics involved in such reporting.
There were also two fatal encounters at a resort near Sharm el Sheikh in 2022, both incidents taking place just 650 feet away from one another on the very same day.
But, it was during Christmas 2010 that there were a series of now infamous attacks in the Sharm el Sheikh resort that echoed those in the Steven Spielberg film JAWS (1975). Not just with multiple shark attacks over several days, but also including the authorities trying to cover it up. Egypt is a summer town; it needs summer Egyptian pounds.
Words by Dean Newman
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