Beaches on Australia’s west coast remain shut after shark attack

Several beaches along the coast of Western Australia, including in the state capital Perth, remained closed on Saturday, a day after a fatal shark attack at a popular beach in the city.

The victim, a male swimmer, died on Friday after being mauled at Sorrento Beach, around 20km from Perth’s central business district, prompting the closure of beaches along 30km of coastline.

The local council said in a Facebook post that beaches would remain closed until at least noon on Saturday.

Friday’s incident 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 Monday.

In that attack, a surfer was bitten at a beach in the ​town of Geraldton, around 400km north of ​Perth. ⁠The surfer lost his foot in the attack and suffered serious leg injuries, local media 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.