IRKUTSK, February 20. /TASS/. A 14-year-old child is among the Chinese tourists who died when their car fell through the ice on Lake Baikal, Governor Igor Kobzev told TASS.
"At the moment, the identities of five people have been established: the driver, a 44-year-old local resident, and four tourists, including one survivor. This is a family from China whose data was found in hotel logs: a married couple, their 14-year-old child, and another relative. They all arrived as independent tourists," Kobzev reported.
The vehicle entered a 3-meter-wide ice fracture at 18 meters depth. Seven bodies have been located using an underwater camera. One passenger survived.
The governor reminded that a ban on driving on the ice is in effect due to warm weather, with the ice crossing to Olkhon Island closed, and urged tourists to avoid unregistered tour guides, whose illegal activities the official promised to look into.
A criminal case has been opened in the Irkutsk Region regarding an incident on the ice of Lake Baikal, which resulted in the death of a group of tourists. On the afternoon of February 20, a UAZ vehicle carrying 9 people fell through the ice on Lake Baikal in the area of Cape Khoboy. According to preliminary data, there are fatalities as a result of the incident. On this fact, the investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Irkutsk Region have opened a criminal case on grounds of crimes stipulated by Part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (provision of services not meeting safety requirements, negligently resulting in the death of two or more persons) and Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (negligence).