Paramedics responded to reports of a “serious shark bite incident” at Woorim Beach, just north of Brisbane, around 16:45 local time (06:45 GMT) on Monday, Queensland Ambulance Service wrote on X.

Police confirmed that the girl had suffered life-threatening injuries and died shortly after 17:00. Australian media reports that she was 17 years old.

The waters around the beach are home to many sharks, but the attack occurred close to shore in the popular surfing spot, which has measures to protect against sharks.

Police confirmed the girl had been swimming in the waters off Bribie Island – just off the mainland, on which Woorim Beach sits – when she was attacked by the shark, the species of which has not been identified.

The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed the victim suffered life-threatening injuries to her upper body.

She was bitten on the arm around 100m from shore, Australian media reports.

Christopher Potter arrived at the beach shortly after the attack happened. He told ABC News: “There are a lot of swimming groups that swim along here, morning and afternoon.

“It’s known there are a lot of sharks around Bribie, but this close to shore, it’s still a shock.”

The waters near the beach are protected with drumlines – barrels anchored to the sea floor which have baited hooks to catch sharks that get too close.

Target species caught in these are then euthanised, while other species are relocated and released.

Police said they will prepare a report on Monday’s incident for the coroner.

It is the second shark fatality in Australia’s waters this year, after surfer Lance Appleby was killed off the coast of South Australia on 2 January.

The last fatal attack in the Greater Brisbane area came in 2006, when 21-year-old Sarah Whiley was killed while swimming with friends.

Shark attacks in Queensland “happen rarely and most shark species do not pose a risk to people”, according to the state government’s website.

In a statement, the north African nation’s environment ministry said Sunday’s incident occurred north of Marsa Alam, a resort town in eastern Egypt popular with divers.

It added that the attack occurred in “deep waters outside of the designated swimming area”.

While the ministry only said that the two victims were foreign, the AFP news agency reported they were Italian nationals, citing an unnamed source at the Italian foreign ministry.

The 48-year-old man who died was a resident of Rome, while the injured man was 69, according to AFP.

Egyptian officials said the two tourists were transported to a hospital in Port Ghalib, around 30 miles north of Marsa Alam.

The swimming area in Marsa Alam will be closed and the incident is being investigated, authorities said.

In the past 10 years, there have been four confirmed fatalities due to shark attacks in the Red Sea, according to data compiled by the independent Shark Research Institute.

The last to occur happened in June 2023 near Hurguda and involved a 24-year-old Russian man.

Luke Walford, a youth pastor, had been spearfishing with his family when he was bitten on Saturday afternoon

.He sustained “life-threatening injuries” and despite paramedics’ efforts, he died at the scene about an hour later, authorities said.

He and his family had been in the water at Humpy Island, in the Great Barrier Reef’s Keppel Bay Islands National Park, when the attack happened. The area is a popular spot for diving and snorkelling.

Walford had been a school chaplain and pastor at the Cathedral of Praise church in Rockhampton, Queensland.Donna Kirkland, his local MP, said she was in shock, and that Walford was a friend to her and “countless others.”

“My prayers and heartfelt condolences are with his beautiful family and indeed the many who will be devastated, as I am, at this news”, she added.

A family friend told ABC News he had watched the rescue helicopter fly over his house, unaware it was for his friend.

“I always say a little tribute for whoever it may be, but to find out it was Luke was a very sad day,” Doug Webber said.

Queensland police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.

Australia’s last fatal shark attack happened in December 2023, when a teenage boy was killed in the south.

Just this year, there have been four other shark incidents in Australia, according to a local database.

In general, Australia sees more shark attacks than any other country except the US.