Three Tourists Die on Siberian Peak, Criminal Case Launched

A criminal case is underway in Buryatia following the deaths of three tourists on Mount Munku-Sardyk, the region's highest peak. The Investigative Committee of Russia has initiated proceedings under a statute concerning the provision of services that fail to meet safety standards, leading to the negligent death of two or more people.

The tragedy occurred as a 15-person group from Krasnoyarsk was descending the 3,492-meter mountain in the Eastern Sayan range. According to authorities, the tourists succumbed to hypothermia. The group had registered for the trek, which began on April 18 with a planned return by midday on April 22. In the early hours of April 21, several members of the party reached a roadside cafe at the mountain's base. There, they left a note detailing the fatalities before returning to the scene.

Munku-Sardyk, which borders Mongolia, is the third-highest summit in Russia, after Elbrus and Belukha. The investigation will now seek to determine the precise circumstances and any potential failures in the organization or safety provisions of the guided ascent.