SAINT-DENIS, La Reunion (Reuters) - A 26-year old man has died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of La Reunion island in the Indian Ocean, said a local authority official on Tuesday.

The victim had been practising a variation of surfing known as bodyboarding when he was attacked by the shark.

The death marked the eighth fatal shark attack in La Reunion, which is an overseas territory of France, since 2011.