AUSTRALIAN BEACHES CLOSED AFTER THREE SHARK ATTACKS IN TWO DAYS

SYDNEY, Jan 20 (Bernama-dpa) -- Local authorities on Tuesday closed a 30-kilometre stretch of coastline in Sydney following a third shark attack in two days, reported German news agency dpa.

The Northern Beaches Council said in a statement that all 34 beaches in the area would be closed until further notice.

"We urge swimmers and surfers to follow beach closure information and check beach status information," the council said.

The closures came after a man was bitten by a shark on Monday evening, New South Wales police said.

Emergency services were called to North Steyne Beach, in the Northern Beaches suburb of Manly, following reports a surfer had been bitten by a shark.

"The man was pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid before the arrival of emergency services," police said.

He was treated for serious leg injuries by paramedics and taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Earlier on Monday a boy had his board bitten by a shark at nearby Dee Why, while on Sunday a 13-year-old boy was attacked while swimming near Shark Beach in Sydney's east. Police said the boy was wading in shallow water when he was attacked.

"The injuries are consistent with what is believed to have been a large shark," police said. The type of shark remains unknown.

The boy suffered serious injuries to both legs and was taken to hospital in critical condition.

According to official data from 2025, there has been an average of about 20 shark incidents with injuries per year in Australia over the past 10 years, with an average of 2.8 fatalities annually.

--BERNAMA-dpa