MOSCOW, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Seven Chinese tourists and a bus driver are feared dead after a tourist bus driving across a frozen stretch of Lake Baikal in Russia's Siberia plunged into the water when
Seven Found Dead After Tour Bus Crashes into Siberian Lake
MOSCOW, Feb 20 (Reuters) - 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, the Russian emergency ministry said.
Survivor and Rescue Efforts
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.
Rescue Operations and Challenges
"The depth at the site of the accident is 18 metres (59 feet)," it said in a statement.
Lake Baikal: A Tourist Destination
Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, located north of Mongolia, is a popular destination for tourists.
Chinese Tourism in Russia
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.
(Reporting by Reuters;Editing by Helen Popper)
