Tourist hovercraft capsizes without warning, leaving passengers fighting to survive

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

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.