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Siberia: Bus with Chinese Tourists Sinks in Frozen Lake – At Least 8 Dead

Published February 20, 2026, 14:10
Siberia: Bus with Chinese Tourists Sinks in Frozen Lake – At Least 8 Dead

At least eight people have died when a tourist bus carrying Chinese visitors sank into a frozen area of Lake Baikal in Siberia after the ice broke beneath the vehicle, according to local authorities. The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, said via a Telegram post that seven Chinese tourists and the bus driver are among the victims. One tourist managed to escape, and the search for the others is ongoing. Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, located north of Mongolia, is a popular destination for tourists. The Irkutsk region's prosecutor's office has launched a criminal investigation to determine the circumstances of the tragedy. The incident occurs during a period of increasing Chinese tourism to Russia, due to the political rapprochement between the two countries and the mutual visa-free travel agreement.