Chinese Tourists Die in Lake Baikal Ice Tragedy
Monday, 2026/02/23225 words3 minutes425 reads
Russian authorities recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver following a tragic incident on Friday when their minibus plunged through the ice of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake with a maximum depth of 1,642 meters.
The vehicle fell into a three-meter-wide ice fissure near Cape Khoboy, at the northern tip of Olkhon Island. At the accident site, the water depth reached 18 meters, necessitating the use of underwater cameras by rescue divers during recovery operations. One Chinese tourist successfully escaped the submerged vehicle and survived.
Irkutsk regional Governor Igor Kobzev expressed condolences to the victims' families and issued a stern warning about the mortal dangers of venturing onto the lake's ice, which is currently prohibited. He revealed that all the Chinese tourists, including a 14-year-old child, had traveled independently rather than through official tour operators. Unconfirmed reports suggest the Russian driver may have been conducting tours without proper licensing.
The Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe into negligence and safety violations resulting in death. Governor Kobzev noted with frustration that despite this tragedy, six additional people required rescue from separate ice-related incidents over the weekend, indicating that the lesson had not been learned. This marks the second fatal incident at Lake Baikal in 2026, with at least 11 tourist deaths reported at the UNESCO World Heritage site this year.
