Man Killed, Woman Injured After Attack by Shark or Crocodile at Mexico Resort, Officials Say
An investigation will determine if a shark or crocodile, which both inhabit the area, was responsible for Thursday's attack
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Great White Shark; Crocodile.A Belgian man was killed and a woman was injured after they were attacked by either a crocodile or shark in Mexico on Thursday, according to authorities.
The civil defense office in the southern state of Guerrero said in a statement that the two victims were bitten by an unidentified animal at Playa Quieta in the north of the Guerrero state municipality of Zihuatanejo.
The attack took place in the waters off Mexico's Pacific coast resort of Zihuatanejo, the Associated Press reported, citing officials.
After receiving a 911 call, first responders rushed to the scene and found the woman injured in the lower leg, authorities said. She was then taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, a man was reported dead at the scene after also suffering injuries to his lower legs. The extent of the relationship between the two wasn't immediately clear.
Related: Boston Woman Killed in Shark Attack While Paddle Boarding Near Bahamas Resort
Officials have said the man was a tourist from Belgium, CBS News, the AP and El País reported. Information about the woman's nationality was not immediately clear.
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Authorities said an investigation will determine what kind of animal attacked the pair.
Per the reports, a shark or a crocodile is believed to be behind the attack since both creatures inhabit the area.
The AP reported that should it be proven that a shark was responsible, the deadly attack would be the second such shark fatality in December after a Mexican woman was bitten in the waters off the beach town of Melaque.
The beach has been closed to the public as of Thursday, according to another statement by authorities, who shared that a search had been underway for the animal.
"The Government of Guerrero regrets this incident and expresses its most sincere condolences to the relatives of the victim who lost his life," the civil defense office said in a statement.
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