Tourist hovercraft capsizes without warning, leaving passengers fighting to survive

A tourist outing on the frozen edges of Siberia's Lake Baikal ended in tragedy Tuesday after a hovercraft carrying travelers overturned in frigid waters - leaving five people dead and sparking a large-scale rescue effort, according to Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations and as cited by local media Interfax and Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Emergency officials said the vessel - a Sever-750 airboat designed to travel across both ice and water - capsized just offshore with 18 people aboard. 

Rescue crews managed to pull 13 survivors from the lake, including a child, while five others were pronounced dead at the scene.

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"According to updated information, there were 18 people on board the hovercraft. Thirteen people, including a child, were rescued. Unfortunately, five people died," EMERCOM said in a statement to Interfax.

The group had been traveling as part of a guided tour near Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake and one of Siberia's most popular tourist destinations, according to Russian media outlets.

Most of the passengers are believed to be visitors from Moscow, the outlets said.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the incident, but early reports suggest the hovercraft may have become unstable after moving onto thin ice near the shoreline.

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Investigators are also looking into whether overcrowding played a role, local outlets reported. 

Russian media indicated that the hovercraft was built to carry no more than 10 passengers but was transporting 18 people along with heavy equipment at the time of the incident.

Komsomolskaya Pravda reported the captain steered the hovercraft onto ice and jumped into the water shortly before it overturned.

One survivor suffered a leg injury and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, local media outlets said.

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The hovercraft tragedy underscores the rapidly changing weather conditions, dangerous waves and strong winds associated with Lake Baikal, reports indicated.

A local tour operator told Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda that the model involved in the crash was poorly suited for the lake's rough conditions.

"These boats are known to be unstable on open water," the operator reportedly said, saying the vessel is more commonly used on rivers and calmer surfaces.

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Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.

Investigators from Russia's transport prosecutor's office and the country's Investigative Committee have opened an inquiry into the crash as officials work to determine whether safety violations contributed to the deadly accident, several reports said.

The Investigative Committee and the Buryat Transport Prosecutor's Office (BTPO) are investigating the hovercraft accident, according to Russian media outlets.

Lake Baikal, located in southeastern Siberia, is considered one of the world's most extraordinary natural landmarks. Recognized as the oldest, deepest and largest freshwater lake by volume, it holds nearly 20% of the planet's unfrozen fresh water.

Fox News Digital reached out to EMERCOM and the BTPO for comment.