Ten people, including three children, lost their lives due to a severe storm, which also left many others injured and without power.
The tragic event happened on Sunday, July 30. Among the ten victims, eight were part of a tourist group camping near Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region of central Russia, more than 600 km east of Moscow.
The storm’s potent winds led to numerous trees falling in the area, causing the unfortunate deaths of eight members of the tourist group. Their tents, pitched on a wild beach in the Mariy Chodra National Park, were not immune to the storm’s devastating force. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said that several hundred people were camping by the lake when the storm hit.
Yuri Zaitsev, the regional leader, shared the distressing news on social media, pointing out that three children were among those who died. Following this incident, Russia’s investigative committee has initiated a criminal investigation to ascertain if the park’s management company had any role in these fatalities. The committee will probe whether substandard services or unsafe conditions may have contributed to the tragic event.
The storm’s effects extended beyond the Mari-El region, impacting the wider Volga Federal District. Emergency services reported that 76 people were injured and up to 100,000 households were left without power.