Moscow sewer tragedy: All 8 missing people confirmed dead due to floods
Moscow's underground sewer tunnels
All eight people, including a tourist guide, were found dead after they undertook a guided tour of Moscow’s sewer system on Sunday (August 20).
Following a sudden, heavy downpour in Moscow, the water level in the underground sewers increased rapidly, leaving the tourists gasping for air and struggling to escape.
Investigators said the search and rescue operation had ended and efforts were being made to identify the individuals.
MoscowMayor Sergei Sobyanin on Monday described the accident as a "terrible tragedy."
Criminal investigation launched
Authorities informed a criminal investigation was being opened into the organisers of the tour. Authorities are describing the act as "illegal incursion" while raising concerns that safety standards were not adhered to.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Police have identified and charged three people for organising the tour, BBC reported. However, one person is said to have left the country for the UAE.
Interestingly, more than 20 people hadinitially signed up for the tour but most of them withdrew owing to the bad weather alert.
Shelters available inside underground sewers
An urban explorer from Moscow earlier claimed that there were shelters inside the tunnels to help people take refuge during emergency situations.
"I hoped that maybe I would still be able to find some survivors there. There are two shelter points, but there was no one there," urban explorer Daniil Davydov told the RIA news agency.
Moscow’s iconic 19th-century underground tunnels are popular among tourists. Several tour guides offer trips down the vast network of sewers to curious tourists but most of them are undertaken only after taking permission from the local authorities.
However, it was unclear whether the tourists, who went for exploration on Sunday, had sought prior approval.
More about Moscow’s underground tunnel exploration
Through the tour, explorers get to discover the hidden depths of Moscow. The journey goes through uncharted corners of the city, covering underground passages that delve 15 metresdeep into the Moscow sewer system.
Watch:Russian capital comes under drone attack allegedly from Ukraine
People travel 2.5 to 3 km through subterranean tunnels, witnessing mesmerising waterfalls and natural springs. The tour guides help people understand the history of Moscow's sewer system and unveil operational urban life support systems during this captivating exercise.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE