Children among eight dead after storm pummels Russia campsite
by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) July 30, 2023

Eight people including three small children died in Russia when trees crashed into a lakeside campsite during a storm described as a "hurricane", authorities said on Sunday.

Several hundred people camped in a national park in Mari El, a Russian region located along the northern bank of the Volga River, when the storm struck on Saturday.

The Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said in a statement that the bodies of seven people including three small children were found following what it called a "hurricane", after debris was cleared at the campsite overnight.

Another person died in a hospital, the statement said.

In a separate statement, the emergencies ministry said that 29 people were injured and 16 hospitalised.

"Vacationers did not take into account the weather forecast," the ministry said on messaging app Telegram.

The campsite was located on the shores of Lake Yalchik in the Mari Chodra national park, and the Investigative Committee said a criminal probe was launched over the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.

Overall, 10 people died and 76 were injured in the Privolzhsk federal district which includes the region of Mari El, the emergencies ministry said.

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