Beaches on Australia’s west coast to remain shut after fatal shark attack
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A swimmer died on Sept 18 after being mauled at Sorrento Beach, around 20km from Perth’s Central Business District.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
SYDNEY – Several beaches along the coast of Western Australia, including in the state capital Perth, will remain closed until at least Sept 20, the authorities said, after a fatal shark attack at a popular beach in the city on Sept 18.
The victim, a male swimmer, died after being mauled at Sorrento Beach, around 20km from Perth’s Central Business District, prompting the closure of beaches along 17km of coastline.
Beaches in Perth’s Joondalup area would remain closed until at least noon local time on Sept 20, the state government said on Sept 19.
“Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will continue to conduct land-based patrols,” it said in an alert.
The incident on Sept 18 is the latest in a series of shark attacks in Australia and comes after a surfer was bitten in an attack in the same state on Sept 14.
In the Sept 14 attack, the surfer was bitten at a beach in the town of Geraldton, around 400km north of Perth. He lost his foot in the attack and suffered serious leg injuries, local media outlets said.
In June, a 35-year-old man was killed while spearfishing off the state’s south coast, while a 38-year-old man was mauled to death off an island near Perth in May. REUTERS