On Friday, February 20, a tour bus carrying Chinese tourists plunged into Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, as the ice on the lake’s surface cracked, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals. The Governor of Irkutsk Oblast in Russia announced on Saturday, February 21, that divers have retrieved the bodies of all the victims from the lake, including the driver and seven Chinese citizens.
“We can now confirm that the victims include a driver and seven Chinese citizens. I would like to express my deepest condolences once again to the families and friends of the victims,” stated Igor Kobzev, the Governor of Irkutsk Oblast, on the Telegram app.
Kobzev mentioned that one Chinese tourist on the bus managed to escape. The Chinese Consulate General in Irkutsk has been informed of the incident.
According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the bus fell into a crevice in the ice approximately 3 meters (10 feet) wide. The water depth at the accident site is 18 meters (59 feet).
The regional prosecutor’s office has initiated a criminal investigation into the incident to determine whether negligence and safety violations led to the deaths of the individuals.
The Irkutsk Tourism Bureau stated that the bus was part of a tour program operated by an unregistered operator.
The Moscow Times reported unconfirmed claims indicating that the Russian driver of the bus involved in the accident was operating a tourism business at Lake Baikal without proper permits.
Lake Baikal, located in northern Mongolia, is the world’s deepest freshwater lake and a popular tourist destination. The lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and from January to April each year, the surface freezes, forming unusually clear and thick ice that attracts visitors from around the world. The ice road to Olkhon Island is typically open during the peak tourism season from February to March, with thick ice capable of supporting heavy vehicles. Governor Kobzev mentioned that this year’s ice road had not officially opened yet. In recent years, with the increasing closeness of relations between China and Russia and the implementation of visa-free policies, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Russia has surged.
Russian media reported that at least 11 tourists are believed to have died in Lake Baikal so far this year. In late January, a Chinese tourist tragically lost his life when a van overturned on the ice. The van driver was arrested for alleged safety regulation violations leading to the death of others.