A 12-year-old boy lost an arm and a tour guide had his leg torn off in the attack at Sharm-El-Sheikh, in the Ras Mohammed National Park area of the Red Sea, off Egypt’s coast

A young boy and a tour guide have had their limbs ripped off in an horrific shark attack off the coast of Egypt in a popular tourist destination.

A 12-year-old boy, his mum and a tour guide were among a group of six attacked as they snorkelled in the Red Sea on Sunday, according to local reports.

The group were swimming with a local guide around the Ras Muhammud reef at Sharm-El-Sheikh when three of the group were mauled, according to Al Alrabiya.

Egypt’s Environment Ministry said three people were injured in the attack on Sunday.

Officials said the group were forced to climb onto a coral reef to flee the attack.

But the shark continued mauling three of the swimmers, including the child, the Ministry said.