Moscow [Russia], February 23: Russian authorities said divers recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver who died after their mini-bus plunged under the ice to the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Irkutsk regional Governor Igor Kobzev offered his "deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims". He earlier said one Chinese tourist had managed to escape.
The depth at the site of Friday's accident was 18m (59ft), and the divers had to use underwater cameras to search for the bodies.
Baikal - the world's deepest lake with a maximum depth of 1,642m (5,387ft) - is a popular tourist destination. It often freezes during harsh winters and has seen a number of deadly accidents over the years.
The bus fell into three-metre-wide ice fissure on Friday, Kobzev said in a post on Telegram. A criminal investigation into the cause of the tragedy is now under way.
Source: Qatar Tribune
