Seven bodies found after Chinese tour bus plunges into frozen lake in Russia’s Siberia

Seven bodies ‌have been found in Lake ​Baikal in Russia’s ⁠Siberia after a tour bus carrying eight Chinese tourists plunged into the ‌water when the ice broke as it crossed ‌the frozen lake on ‌Friday (February 20, 2026), ⁠the Russian Emergency Ministry said.

One ⁠of the Chinese tourists who had been 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.

The Ministry said rescuers ⁠had conducted an inspection of the scene using an underwater ‌camera and that diving operations were planned.

“The depth at the site of the accident is 18 metres [59 feet],” it said in a statement.

Lake ‌Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, ​located north of Mongolia, is a popular destination for ⁠tourists.

Chinese tourism in Russia has ⁠soared in recent years amid closer ties between the ‌two neighbours and the introduction of a mutual visa-free ​travel regime.