Seven bodies have been found after a tour bus carrying eight Chinese tourists on board Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, fell into the water after breaking ice while crossing the frozen lake on Friday (Feb. 20, 2026), Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.
One of the Chinese tourists on the bus managed to escape, Irkutsk regional governor Igor Kobzev said on the Telegram app, and the region’s prosecutor’s office said a criminal case had been opened over the incident.
Rescuers used an underwater camera to inspect the scene and diving operations were planned, the ministry said.
“The depth of the accident site is 18 meters [59 feet],” it said in a statement.
Located in the north of Mongolia, Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, is a popular tourist destination.
Chinese tourism to Russia has increased in recent years amid closer ties between the two neighbors and the introduction of a reciprocal visa-free travel regime.
Published – February 20, 2026 06:57 pm IST
