Shark attack kills EU official in Egypt's Red Sea during birthday scuba dive celebration: reports
Egypt's Ministry of Environment said the attack happened Sunday morning in deep water outside the swimming area in the northern region of Marsa Alam, a coastal town known for its sandy beaches and coral reefs.
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MARSA ALAM, Egypt – A shark attack in Egypt's Red Sea near a popular tourist destination has left a European Union official dead and another injured, according to local media and state officials.
Egypt's Ministry of Environment said the attack happened Sunday morning in deep water outside the swimming area in the northern region of Marsa Alam, a coastal town known for its sandy beaches and coral reefs.
Gianluca Di Gioia, 48, from Rome, was killed by a tiger shark while his friend, identified as 69-year-old Peppino Fappani, tried to stop the attack, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The attack happened while the two men were scuba diving to explore a coral reef. Family members said the two men were celebrating Di Gioia's birthday on Dec. 21.
Fappani reportedly suffered "small bites" after intervening to help and was rushed to a hospital in Porto Ghalib along with Di Gioia's body.
Tiger sharks are incredibly impressive and large sharks and reach a length of about 20 feet with a wide mouth and broad nose.
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Both men were Italian nationals, according to Italian media. Di Gioia worked at the European Commission's research center and had been working since 2012 at the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service of the EU.
The area where the attack occurred has been closed to swimming until Wednesday as a precautionary measure, Minister of the Environment Dr. Yasmine Fouad said in a statement online. An urgent committee has been formed to investigate the causes of the attack.
Shark attacks, while rare, have occurred previously along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. This incident comes on the heels of the sinking of a tourist yacht near Marsa Alam last month, resulting in four deaths and seven still missing, ANSA reported.
The Italian Embassy in Cairo is reportedly providing consular assistance to Di Gioia's family.