Russian authorities say divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver who died after their mini-bus plunged under the ice to the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Irkutsk regional Governor Igor Kobzev offered his “deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims”. He earlier said one Chinese tourist had managed to escape.
The depth at the site of Friday’s accident was 18m (59ft), and the divers had to use underwater cameras to search for the bodies.
Baikal – the world’s deepest lake with a maximum depth of 1,642m (5,387ft) – is a popular tourist destination. It often freezes during harsh winters and has seen a number of deadly accidents over the years.
The bus fell into three-metre-wide ice fissure on Friday, Kobzev said in a post on Telegram.
“I would like to remind you once again that going out onto Lake Baikal’s ice is not just prohibited right now. It’s mortally dangerous,” the governor said, urging tourists to use only official tour operators.
He added that all the Chinese tourists – including a 14-year-old child – had travelled independently.
A criminal investigation into the cause of the tragedy is now under way.
Shortly afterwards Kobzev took to social media again, saying that “sadly, even this tragedy hasn’t taught people a lesson”, informing that six people trapped in their cars had been rescued in two separate incidents on Friday and Saturday.
In late January, a Chinese tourist died after a car he was travelling overturned on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal.
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