IRKUTSK, February 20. /TASS/. Seven dead bodies have been found at the bottom of Lake Baikal after a tourist vehicle apparently fell into a hole in the ice there earlier, the regional Emergencies Ministry said.

"In the Olkhonsky district, near Cape Khoboi, we found the site of a car crash with people. While driving, the off-road vehicle, which was transporting tourists, fell into a three-meter-wide opening in the ice. The depth at the scene is 18 meters. Rescuers conducted a survey using an underwater camera. The bodies of seven people were found. Diving operations are planned," it said in a statement.