It was supposed to be a group trip to the Moscow sewers. But a heavy rain suddenly caused the water to rise. The eight people were missing for two days – now they have all been found dead.
Two days after a dangerous trip into the Moscow sewers, all eight missing people have been found dead. The group had explored the sewage system of the city of millions on Sunday when heavy rain caused the underground river Neglinka to rise, according to the state news agency TASS. The water rose so quickly that they couldn’t make it back to the surface in time.
The group had apparently attempted to exit the sewers via a subway station. “There was practically no chance of escaping,” a member of the Central Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (TFR) told Interfax news agency.
“All participants of the excursion were found,” confirmed a member of the rescue workers. “They all died. The search is over.” It had previously been feared that the excursion group could have consisted of up to 20 people.
According to meteorologists, a third of the usual amount of rain for a month fell in the Russian capital within an hour on Sunday.
Investigations against organizers of the tour
According to media reports, the group had booked a tour of the branching underground sewers. The excursion was apparently not registered with the responsible authority. According to media reports, the managing director of the company that offered the trip has now been arrested. There are two other suspects – but one of them left the country, it said.
According to information from the TASS news agency, at least one minor is said to be among the dead. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the incident a “terrible tragedy” and expressed his condolences to the families.
A number of tour companies offer tours of Moscow’s extensive sewage system, some of which date back to the 19th century.