SYDNEY: Authorities in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state on Friday ordered the closure of beaches in Port Macquarie town after a man was hospitalised due to serious injuries to his leg and foot following a shark attack earlier in the day.

Surf Life Saving NSW said in a statement that at around 10 a.m. on Friday, the man in his 40s was attacked by the shark in waters off Port Macquarie located in the state's mid-north coast, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the statement, beaches in the area would remain closed until further notice, with signs erected at the site to warn local residents to stay out of the water.

The type of shark involved has yet to be confirmed.

Australian Shark-Incident Database revealed that there has been eight shark attack incidents so far this year, of which two were fatal.