Chinese bus plunges into frozen lake in Russia's SiberiaRescuers at the scene where a bus carrying Chinese tourists plunged into the ice‑covered waters of Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk region, Russia on Feb 20. (Photo: Reuters)MOSCOW - ​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. 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. 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.

Source: Bangkok Post February 23, 2026 07:23 UTC