According to local authorities, among the deceased were seven Chinese tourists and a 44-year-old driver, a local resident. Among the victims was also a 14-year-old child. The only surviving tourist managed to surface.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, reported that the deceased family consisted of a married couple, their child, and a relative, who arrived without the help of tour operators and arranged the trip directly with the driver.
The ice crack into which the vehicle fell was about three meters wide, and the depth at that location reached 18 meters.
The surviving passenger is currently at the recreation center, and investigators plan to interrogate him. The governor also reminded that the ice crossing to Olkhon is still closed, and venturing onto the ice is strictly prohibited, as it may pose a danger to life.
