Videos shared online suggest a Mako shark was involved in at least one of the incidents – possibly the first – and appeared to have been filmed from a nearby jetty, although The Telegraph was not immediately able to verify the footage.
Egyptian authorities have formed a commission to investigate the incidents at a major tourist hotspot. Sharks – especially Mako sharks – are not usually found near the shores of the Red Sea, leaving open the possibility that a man-made cause lured them further inland.
Approximately 65 percent of tourists visiting Egypt vacation in the Red Sea region.
The task force was created to “identify the scientific reasons and circumstances behind the attacks” and determine “the reasons for the shark’s behavior that led to the incident,” according to a statement posted on Facebook by Egypt’s environment ministry.
Attacks in the region are rare
It’s unclear whether authorities believe the attacks were carried out by the same shark.
While shark attacks in the region are rare, at least five tourists have been killed and four others injured in shark attacks since 2010.
The resorts of the Red Sea are famous for divers, attracted by the coral reefs not far from the coast.
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