Ten people, including three children, have lost their lives due to a severe storm, which has also left many others injured and without electricity.

The incident took place on Sunday, July 30. Of the ten victims, eight were part of a tourist group camping near Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region of central Russia, 600 km east of Moscow.

The storm’s strong winds resulted in numerous trees falling in the area, leading to the tragic deaths of eight members from the tourist group. Their tents, which had been set up on a wild beach in the Mariy Chodra National Park, were not spared from the storm’s destructive force. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported that hundreds of people were camped out when the storm hit.

Yuri Zaitsev, the regional leader, announced the grim news on social media, noting that three children were among the deceased. 

In response to this event, Russia’s investigative committee has started a criminal investigation to determine if the park’s management company had any involvement in these fatalities. The committee will investigate whether poor services or unsafe conditions may have contributed to the unfortunate incident.

The storm’s impact was not confined to the Mari-El region, affecting the wider Volga Federal District. Emergency services reported that 76 people were injured and up to 100,000 households were left without power.