Bus with Chinese tourists crashes through ice on Russia’s Lake Baikal, killing 8

A bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed through the ice on Russia's Lake Baikal on Friday, resulting in the deaths of eight people. The victims included seven tourists and the Russian driver. The bus plunged into a three-meter-wide crevasse in an area where the lake is 18 meters deep. Russian authorities launched a diving operation and are investigating the incident, with a criminal probe opened by the regional prosecutor's office. The tour was reportedly operated by an unregistered company, according to the Irkutsk tourism office. Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, is a popular tourist destination in Russia.

Divers recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus plunged through ice on Lake Baikal in Siberia on Friday. The accident occurred at a depth of 18 meters after the bus fell into a three-meter-wide ice fissure. One Chinese tourist survived. Irkutsk regional Governor Igor Kobzev expressed condolences and reminded people of the dangers of traveling on the ice, urging them to use official tour operators. He also reported several other ice-related incidents over the weekend. A criminal investigation into the cause of the tragedy is underway. This incident follows a similar death of a Chinese tourist in late January.