Overview
- A tourist hovercraft with about 18 aboard flipped near Turtle Rock on Tuesday, leaving five dead and 13 rescued, Russia’s emergency ministry said.
- Divers and rescue crews recovered the bodies and treated survivors for hypothermia, and local reports said one person had a serious leg wound.
- The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over suspected safety violations that resulted in deaths.
- Emergency service sources told TASS the craft was in working order and likely overloaded beyond its limit, and some outlets identified it as a Sever-750 rated for about 10 passengers.
- Several outlets said the victims were from the Moscow region, and the crash has renewed attention on Baikal’s risky tourist transport after earlier 2026 drownings on the lake.