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Seven Chinese tourists drown after car falls through ice in Russia
Seven Chinese tourists died when a tour bus sank through thin ice on Lake Baikal; one escaped and a criminal case was opened for safety violations.
- On Friday, seven Chinese tourists drowned after their vehicle fell through the ice on Lake Baikal, China’s Consulate General in Irkutsk said.
- Because the designated ice road was not open, Irkutsk authorities said the ice crossing to Olkhon was closed amid warmer-than-usual temperatures, with AccuWeather reporting highs from 0°C to 14°C.
- Rescuers reported a UAZ van carrying nine people plunged into a three-metre-wide fissure and sank to 18m; one tourist escaped and has testified to investigators.
- Authorities have opened a criminal probe into negligence and safety violations, with Russia's Investigative Committee and the regional prosecutor's office examining safety breaches and unconfirmed driver licence reports.
- Given Baikal's global profile, tourism ties have surged, with at least 11 tourists believed to have died this year at the UNESCO site, highlighting safety issues.
86 Articles
86 Articles
Chinese bus plunges into frozen lake in Russia's Siberia
MOSCOW - Seven bodies have been found in Lake Baikal in Russia's Siberia after a tour bus carrying eight Chinese tourists plunged into the water when the ice broke as it crossed the frozen lake on Friday, the Russian emergency ministry said.
Baikal, the deepest lake in the world at 1,642 meters deep, is a popular tourist destination, but often deadly in winter due to its frozen surface layer.
Seven Chinese tourists and their Russian driver died in a minibus accident on Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake. Divers found them 18 meters (60 feet) below the surface. The governor of the region has urged tourists not to linger on the frozen lake, saying it is life-threatening.
Divers have recovered the bodies of victims from a minibus carrying Chinese tourists that plunged into Lake Baikal in Siberia last Friday, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the tragedy.
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