Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW CALEDONIA: An Australian tourist was killed by a shark near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.
The 59-year-old was swimming about 150 metres from shore at a popular beach in Nouméa when he was attacked by the shark, which bit him several times, authorities said.
The victim suffered major wounds to his leg and arms, and died on the spot. Two people sailing nearby took him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him.
The horrific attack was witnessed by many people, who were in the water at the time, local media have reported, prompting a panicked rush back to the shore.
It is the third shark attack near the Chateau-Royal beach in three weeks.
Authorities close beaches in the area
Most beaches in the area have been closed by the authorities, with efforts underway to capture sharks in nearby waters.
A 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured in another shark attack in the same area on January 29, and a surfer was also attacked a few days later.
New Caledonia, located south of Vanuatu, is about 1,200 kilometres east of Australia.
Despite being home to only 270,000 people, it ranks 13th worldwide for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which has kept counting across the globe since 1958.
