Shark kills swimmer off South Africa's Eastern Cape

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JOHANNESBURG — A 65-year-old woman died after a shark attacked her off the coast of South Africa's Eastern Cape province on Tuesday, SABC reported.

The woman was swimming with a group after 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) when she indicated she was in trouble, a witness told the public broadcaster.

"We all realized she'd been bitten by a shark, and she was in a very bad way," the witness said. "The bites were very severe, but there were only two, one on her thigh and one on her upper arm."

He said the woman was brought back to shore, where she was declared dead on the beach.

The local municipality said in a social media post there had been a shark attack in KuGompo City that resulted in a "tragic incident."

The municipality said Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach had been closed until further notice.

A spokesperson for the local municipality did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment. — Reuters