Minister of Environment Maged George on Thursday said ministry personnel killed the shark responsible for injuring four tourists near the Red Sea resort town Sharm al-Sheikh. George told reporters the shark in question--recorded at 2.23 meters in length--belonged to a species particularly known for its aggression. He pledged that his ministry would survey the area for two days to make sure it was free from other threats. Three separate attacks injured three Russian tourists in Naema Bay on Wednesday. The victims were snorkeling near local coral reefs at different times when the attacks occurred. Hisham Zaazou, a senior assistant at the Ministry of Tourism, expressed concern that a recent decision to suspend all diving activity might negatively affect tourism in the Red Sea area. “It's hard to anticipate Russian reactions after this incident,” he said. Russians represent a significant portion of tourists in the region. The most severe incident left two Russian tourists critically injured. Head of the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, Hesham Gabr, said the attack took place in a safe swimming area commonly used by tourists. Several divers saw the incident, instructed the rest of the swimmers to vacate the water, and called rescuers to the site, Gabr added. Three victims, one man and two women, are currently receiving medical treatment.
