(Russia, 22nd) — A tour bus carrying Chinese tourists plunged into a crack in the ice while driving on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, resulting in 8 deaths. The Irkutsk regional prosecutor's office has launched a criminal investigation.
The Irkutsk Tourism Bureau pointed out that the tour bus was operated by an unregistered operator. Whether there was illegal operation and lapses in safety management will be the focus of the investigation.
Officials stated that the accident occurred on the 20th, when the vehicle was crossing the frozen lake surface and eventually fell into an ice crevice about 3 meters wide. The water at the accident site is 18 meters deep, increasing the difficulty of search and salvage operations.
The deceased include 7 Chinese tourists and the bus driver. One Chinese tourist survived by escaping from the vehicle.
According to reports, the driver was a 44-year-old local man, a former children's football coach, who reportedly took the order at far below market price and was not with an official travel agency.
Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world and one of Russia's most iconic natural tourist attractions.
In this regard, retired Taiwan Army Major General Li Zhengjie, who traveled to Lake Baikal last year, revealed that he also encountered a situation where the ice fractured during his visit: "My life flashed before my eyes," but fortunately no accident occurred.
According to China Times News Network, Li Zhengjie said on the political talk show "CTI Spicy Evening News" on the 21st that he also traveled to Lake Baikal in February last year, when the weather was extremely cold and "water would freeze instantly". Locals would even use wooden boards to cover the air intakes of tourist vehicles to prevent cold air from damaging the vehicle. He pointed out that winter tourism at Lake Baikal is famous for its ice surface activities; in the past, tracks were even laid across the lake to connect both sides. Since the ice layer is usually thick enough, driving on it is supposedly safe.
Li Zhengjie revealed that he also encountered an ice fracture at Lake Baikal. At the moment, he first heard a sound like thunder, and then a very long crack appeared on the ice surface, which frightened everyone. "My life flashed before my eyes," he said, and all passengers got out of the vehicle.
The tour driver, after asking passengers to get out, immediately searched for a place where the ice was thick enough to pass. It took half an hour to find one. The tourists walked across the crack first, and then the driver quickly drove the vehicle over the crack before allowing the tourists back on.
On January 28, a vehicle of the same model overturned on the ice near Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal, resulting in the death of a 75-year-old Chinese female tourist and minor injuries to four other Chinese tourists. According to Red Star News, that vehicle did not fall directly into the lake but overturned after entering an ice crack, and there were no handrails or seat belts in the car.