Austrian tourist attacked by shark in Marsa Alam

CAIRO - 8 August 2017: A 20-year-old female Austrian tourist, Christine Schachinger, was attacked by a shark in Marsa Alam in southeast Egypt while snorkeling in one of the Red Sea beaches on Saturday.

Marsa Alam’s beach was closed for 48 hours following the incident. Minister of Environment Khalid Fahmy issued a decision to ban any diving, snorkeling and any beach access on Monday.

Medical sources in the Red Sea governorate said that Schachinger underwent a surgery following the shark attack and is now in good health.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, Egypt ranks 12th on a list of the most dangerous countries for shark attacks.

In 2010, a German woman was killed and several people were severely injured in shark attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh, while in 2015, a German man died after a shark bit off his leg at the knee in al-Qusayr.