A tragic incident occurred on Lake Baikal in Russia, where a minibus with a group of Chinese tourists fell into an ice crack and sank to a great depth. According to official data, seven foreign citizens and a local driver became victims of the accident, unable to leave the vehicle in time. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
According to the governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, only one passenger managed to escape by jumping out of the bus before it completely went underwater. Rescuers used underwater cameras to find the bodies of the dead in the area of Cape Khoboy, where the ice thickness was insufficient for vehicle movement. The tragedy occurred in an area where driving on ice is officially prohibited, but the driver disregarded safety rules for a faster route.
Criminal investigation and political consequences
The regional prosecutor's office has already opened a criminal case on the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements and due to negligence. It has been preliminarily established that the tour was organized by an unregistered operator who carried out illegal transportation of foreigners.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Davrov expressed condolences to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, expressing hope that this incident would not harm the active development of visa-free tourism between the two countries, which has significantly increased in recent years.