Seven Chinese tourists who met their demise in the tragic incident at Lake Baikal in Russia have had more details about the event revealed. The moment the vehicle sank into the lake has been made public.
On the afternoon of February 20th, near Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal in Russia, a vehicle carrying 8 Chinese tourists sunk into the lake due to the ice cracking. The vehicle involved had 1 Russian driver and 8 Chinese tourists onboard, resulting in the deaths of 8 individuals, including the driver and 7 Chinese tourists, with one Chinese tourist managing to escape.
On February 22nd, Russian media released a suspected video of the moment the vehicle sank, showing the slow descent of the vehicle and the suspicion of someone grabbing a rescue rope.
According to the latest information from the Russian side, the identities of the 8 Chinese tourists and the Russian driver have all been confirmed. Among them were a family of four, consisting of a couple and a 14-year-old girl, as well as a female relative. Four other Chinese tourists were traveling with this driver for the arranged tour. One male tourist was lucky enough to survive.
The driver involved was a 44-year-old local resident of Olkhon Island, who used to be a children’s soccer coach. He did not have the legal qualifications for passenger transport or tour guiding and organized illegal ice tours privately. Authorities have determined that his vehicle did not have the proper credentials and was operating illegally, as the incident occurred in a non-open area on the ice.
According to reports from the Russian state news agency, divers found and retrieved the bodies of 7 Chinese tourists and 1 Russian driver from the bottom of Lake Baikal on February 21st.
Igor Kobzev, the governor of the Irkutsk region in Russia, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the families and friends of the victims.
On February 21st, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations issued a notification regarding the accident in which the vehicle carrying Chinese tourists fell into an ice crack in Lake Baikal. The depth of the water at the location where the vehicle fell was 18 meters, with no pier, necessitating the use of air cushions and making rescue efforts difficult. Earlier, underwater cameras had located 7 bodies. Currently, the primary focus is on retrieving the bodies first before lifting the vehicle.
Public data shows that Olkhon Island is the largest island on Lake Baikal, covering approximately 730 square kilometers. The main tourist attractions near Olkhon Island are divided into two routes: the “South Route” and the “North Route,” with the “North Route” known for its stunning landscapes such as blue ice and cliffs. The accident occurred during a sightseeing trip on the “North Route”.
After the accident, local tourism routes in the north and south have been suspended. Currently, the local government has initiated a focused investigation against the driver on charges of “providing travel services that do not meet safety requirements resulting in the death of 2 or more persons” and “neglect of duty”.
Many tourists mentioned that they had seen ice cracks before the accident and had even taken photos of the cracks on the ice. Some tour guides had also warned tourists not to venture into “dangerous” areas.
As a witness and rescuer of the drowning incident at Lake Baikal, Liu Heng happened to be in a vehicle following the one that plunged into the lake, with about 10 meters separating the two vehicles. According to his account, from seeing the vehicle nose-down in the water to completely sinking, it took “no more than a minute”.
Liu Heng’s brother, Liu Yang, stated that Liu Heng was on a tour at the time. According to him, after witnessing the vehicle fall into the water, Liu Heng immediately got out of the car to rescue people but could only save “one person”.
Based on Liu Heng’s description afterward, all 8 individuals were temporary carpool companions. The survivor he rescued is a 31-year-old man from Jiangsu who was traveling with his wife, who unfortunately perished.
It is understood that a similar fatal incident had occurred not long ago at Lake Baikal. On January 28th, a vehicle carrying 10 tourists overturned while driving on the ice in an area that was not yet open, resulting in the on-site death of a 75-year-old Chinese female tourist and injuries to 4 Chinese tourists.