Divers have successfully retrieved the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and their Russian driver from the bottom of Siberia’s Lake Baikal. The group perished when their minibus crashed through the ice and submerged. The incident occurred on Lake Baikal, a location known for its extreme depths and, during winter, its frozen expanse.
The Governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, conveyed his profound sympathies to the relatives and companions of those who lost their lives. Prior to the recovery, he had reported that one Chinese tourist had managed to survive the initial accident.
The recovery operation faced significant challenges. The location of the accident, which took place on Friday, had a depth of 18 meters (approximately 59 feet). Divers utilized underwater cameras to locate and access the submerged vehicle and its occupants.
Lake Baikal, recognized as the planet’s deepest lake with a maximum depth reaching 1,642 meters (over 5,300 feet), is a significant draw for tourists. While its frozen surface in winter presents a unique landscape, it has also been the site of several fatal incidents over time.
Governor Kobzev detailed that the minibus entered a three-meter-wide ice fissure on Friday. He issued a stern warning, emphasizing the extreme dangers of venturing onto the ice at this time. He strongly advised all visitors to rely exclusively on official tour operators for their excursions on the lake.
It was also noted that all the Chinese tourists, including a 14-year-old, had arranged their travel independently, without official guidance.
Authorities have launched a criminal investigation to determine the precise cause of this tragic event.
Following the recovery, Governor Kobzev shared further details on social media, expressing a somber observation that the recent tragedy had not deterred others from taking unnecessary risks. He reported that during the same period, six individuals, trapped in their vehicles, had been rescued from separate incidents on Friday and Saturday.
This incident sadly echoes a previous fatality. In late January, a Chinese tourist died when a car they were traveling in overturned on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal.