According to Russian media, a Russian citizen was attacked and killed by a shark on the beach of the Dream Beach Hotel in Hulghaida, a popular resort in Egypt, in a terrorist incident just a few steps from the beach.
The deadly attack took place this Thursday, confirmed by the Russian Consul General in Khurgayda, Viktor Voropayev, according to Russia's TASS news agency. The victim was identified as 23-year-old V. Popov (also known as Vladimir Popov), who was not a tourist but had lived in Egypt for several months.
The frightening video shows hotel employees shouting for swimmers to get out of the water while a shark's dorsal fin approaches the victim. Witnesses saw Popov wrestling with sharks, but soon realized it was a battle with no chance of winning. According to Russian media, Popov's father was on the beach at the time, and he called out to his father for help while fighting sharks.
"It is now devouring his remains," a witness said in the video. Subsequently, the shark dragged Popov completely into the water. Despite rescuers' attempts to save him, sharks have devoured him.
Popov's girlfriend was reportedly lucky enough to swim out of the shark's attack range and escape. The video shows her crying on the beach as bystanders try to comfort her.
The witness revealed to Russian REN-TV: "It happened very quickly. Rescuers were very responsive. When I saw the shark fins, I immediately stood up and shouted: 'There are sharks! Hurry up and save people! No one understood what was going on. ”
The tragedy sparked panic among tourists, with Egypt's environment ministry announcing in a bulletin on Friday that swimming, including snorkeling and all other water sports activities, would be banned for two days in the area north of Gouna to south of Soma Bay.
There have been several similar incidents in the Red Sea region over the past few years. In 2022, two women were killed in shark attacks in Egypt's Red Sea region, south of the city of Hurghaida, Egypt's environment ministry said. In 2020, a Ukrainian boy lost an arm in a shark attack and an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg. In 2018, a shark attacked and killed a Czech tourist on a Red Sea beach, Egyptian state news agency Alam Online reported.
Khurghaida is one of Egypt's famous tourist destinations and attracts a large number of tourists every year. However, shark attacks in the Red Sea have raised concerns about swimming safety.
Egypt's environment minister, Yasmin Fuad, has ordered the creation of a commission of inquiry and demanded that all necessary measures be taken to ensure the safety of beaches along the Red Sea coast. He also instructed local authorities to step up security measures to prevent similar shark attacks from happening again.
To protect the safety of tourists, authorities need to take more effective measures to strengthen the prevention and monitoring of shark attacks. Visitors should also be vigilant, follow the relevant safety guidelines and conduct water activities under the guidance of professionals.
We express our deep condolences to that unfortunate victim and his family. At the same time, we also call for strengthening marine protection and wildlife protection on a global scale to ensure harmonious coexistence between man and nature.