27/08/2008

British Tourist Dies In Siberia Fall

A British tourist has fallen to her death while hiking in Siberia.

Thirty-year-old Joanna Brown, was trekking in the Irkutsk area when she fell, the Foreign Office said.

A spokesman said: "A British national named Joanna Brown, aged 30, died on August 25 in Irkutsk in Russia.

"Next of kin have been informed and we are providing consular assistance."

It is understood she was hiking around the shores of Lake Baikal with a friend and a local guide when the accident happened on Monday.

It is not clear how the accident happened but it is not thought that police are investigating.

A news report said she fell down a 15 metre slope.

Ms Brown's guide was from the tour operator Baikal Complex, which offers trip involving camping or accommodation in chalets and hotels.

Lake Baikal, close to Russia's border with Mongolia, is more than 2,000 metres deep, has a coastline of 1,305 miles and 20% of the world's fresh water.

Tour operators and the local tourist board began expanding the industry around Lake Baikal in the early 1990s.

(DS)


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