An Australian tourist has been killed in a shark attack in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

The 59-year-old was swimming around 150 metres from the shore at a beach in the capital, Noumea, on Sunday when the shark attacked him.

He was bitten several times, suffering major wounds to a leg and both arms, local media reported.

The man was brought to shore on a jet ski but died at the scene.

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Authorities ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of sharks in nearby waters.

A 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack nearby last month, while a surfer was attacked by a shark a few days later but was not injured.

New Caledonia, which sits south of Vanuatu and around 750 miles (1,200km) east of Australia, is ranked 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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