A UAZ van carrying tourists fell through the ice on Lake Baikal.

Seven people died, local journalists report. Another, according to the prosecutor's office, managed to escape. This happened near the cape. Sagan-Khushun. Preliminary, the tourists came from China.

A criminal case has been opened under charges of providing services that do not meet safety requirements, causing death, and negligence. An investigative team is working on the scene. Officers are questioning witnesses.

News of cars lost under the ice on Lake Baikal is becoming more and more common. Yesterday, on the way to the island Olkhon, At least two cars and one ATV fell into cracks in the ice where the ice crossing had not yet opened.

On February 10, the driver and passenger of a car died, and on January 28, a tourist died. On February 3, the fishermen were lucky: their car didn't sink completely through the ice, and the men were able to escape.

Excursions and tours on the ice of Lake Baikal are a popular winter activity. However, not all areas are open for travel. For example, the crossing to Olkhon Island was scheduled to open a week ago. But that hasn't happened yet—there's a crack in the ice on Lake Baikal, and temperatures were forecast to be above freezing. The commission deemed the risks too high.

Today's emergency occurred on the ice in that area.