Seven Chinese Tourists Die After Vehicle Falls Through Ice on Lake Baikal

Russian outlets describe the Lake Baikal crash as a tourist outing gone wrong, stressing that the minibus was driving on unsafe ice. They say local investigators and emergency services are working to recover victims and check whether the unregistered carrier broke transport and safety rules. They expect criminal cases and tighter control over tourist trips on the frozen lake.

• •Russian investigators say the UAZ minibus drove onto Lake Baikal ice in violation of safety rules.
• •Russian media report that the company transporting the Chinese tourists was not registered as an official carrier.
• •The Irkutsk governor says regional authorities are coordinating rescue and recovery operations at the crash site.
• •Russian officials state that a criminal case has been opened over possible provision of unsafe services.
• •Russian emergency services claim divers recovered multiple bodies from the sunken vehicle under the ice.