After the deaths of eight people on Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev announced a meeting with those responsible for tourism, transport safety, and the region's municipal authorities. The administration of the Olkhonsky District demanded that tour operators stop driving onto the ice and conduct safety briefings for tourists about the dangers of traveling on ice by car.
The tragedy occurred on February 20 at about 15:30 local time near Cape Khoboy on Olkhon Island. A UAZ "Bukhanka" fell into a crack 3 meters wide and 18 meters deep. One passenger survived; divers found the bodies of the other eight victims — including a child — during the search operation. The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Irkutsk has been notified of the incident.
According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the route had not been coordinated either with tour operators or with rescue services: the tourists arranged the trip directly with a local resident, 44-year-old Nikolai Dorzheev. At the time of the tragedy, the ice crossing to Olkhon Island had not officially opened, and driving onto the ice was prohibited. ATOR separately noted that the ice at the site of the emergency was thinner than on officially opened ice routes.
For Olkhon Island, the ice crossing is the only road link with the mainland during the winter period: ferry service does not operate from November to April. The official crossing opens only after ice thickness measurements are taken and signs are installed. In February 2025, according to local media, it was opened when the ice thickness was at least 50 cm; in areas with cracks and hummocks, the figures are significantly lower. According to the Telegram channel Baza, Dorzheev tried to "jump" the crack in the ice, but the UAZ fell through. The driver died along with the passengers.
Criminal cases have been opened under Part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (providing services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the deaths of two or more persons) and Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (negligence). The investigation is being supervised by the prosecutor's office. Restriction tape has been placed at the scene of the emergency, and vehicle traffic has been completely blocked.
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