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Marsa Alam, Egypt – One European Union official was killed and another injured in a shark attack in Egypt’s Red Sea near a popular tourist destination, local media and state officials reported.
The attack occurred Sunday morning in deep water outside the swimming area north of Marsa Alam, a coastal city known for its sandy beaches and coral reefs, Egypt’s Environment Ministry said.
Gianluca di Gioia, 48, a resident of Rome, was killed by a tiger shark when his friend Peppino Fappani, 69, tried to stop the attack, Italian news agency ANSA reported. did. The attack occurred while the two were scuba diving to explore a coral reef. According to family members, the two were celebrating Di Gioia’s birthday on December 21st.
Fappani reportedly suffered a “small bite” after trying to help, and was rushed to a hospital in Porto Gharib along with Di Gioia’s body.
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Tiger sharks are incredibly impressive large sharks, reaching around 20 feet in length with large mouths and broad snouts.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)
According to Italian media, both men were Italian nationals. Di Gioia works at the European Commission’s research center and, since 2012, at the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic agency.
Environment Minister Dr. Yasmin Fouad said in an online statement that the area where the attack occurred was closed to swimming until Wednesday as a precautionary measure. An emergency committee was established to investigate the cause of the attack.
Shark attacks, although rare, have occurred before on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The incident comes after a tourist yacht sank near Marsa Alam last month, leaving four people dead and seven missing, ANSA reported.
The Italian Embassy in Cairo is reportedly providing consular assistance to Di Gioia’s family.
