Igor Kobzev Launches Probe After Eight Die in Lake Baikal Ice Crash

Igor Kobzev confirmed that eight people died after a minibus fell through a crack in the ice on Lake Baikal during an unauthorized excursion on Friday.Six Chinese tourists, a local resident, and the driver perished when their vehicle sank 18 meters near Olkhon Island despite a regional travel ban due to unseasonably warm weather.Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident after discovering the group used an unregistered guide for the trip which left only one survivor.