Rare shark dies after caught in net

Kuala Lumpur: A rare 23-foot-long (seven metres) whale shark got entangled in a fishing net off Malaysia's northwest coast and was towed to shore but died due to injuries, local media reported on Saturday.

Fisherman Key Chai Yang told the New Straits Times newspaper that it took two hours to tow the two-ton shark, known as a Rhincodon Typus, to land after it got entangled in his fishing net on Friday.

He said the shark was still alive when it reached shore in northern Penang state in Malaysia's northwest.

But it died shortly after from the multiple cuts it suffered from the propeller blades on his boat.

"I have never seen such a gigantic shark in my 30 years as a fisherman," Key was quoted as saying.

A huge crowd turned up to see the carcass of the shark, which was later sent to the state fisheries department, the report said.

Fishery officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Rhincodon Typus, the largest fish in the world, can be found in warm tropical seas.

The leviathan, which has distinctive white spots over its dark gray body, can grow as long as of 65 feet (20 metres).