Gargantuan 'Tsar Icicle' collapses on tourists in Russia, killing one

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The 130-foot-tall waterfall freezes every winter, drawing hundreds of tourists.

The frozen waterfall known as the 'Tsar Icicle' collapsed last week, trapping four tourists beneath a chunk of ice.
The frozen waterfall known as the 'Tsar Icicle' collapsed last week, trapping four tourists beneath a chunk of ice. (Image credit: Russian Emergency Situations Ministry)

One tourist has died and three others were hospitalized with severe injuries after the collapse of an enormous frozen waterfall in eastern Russia on Thursday (Jan. 7), according to news reports.

The four tourists were among dozens of visitors to Russia's Vilyuchinsky waterfall — a tourist attraction known in winter as the Tsar Icicle — on Thursday. The 130-foot-tall (40 meters) tower of ice collapsed suddenly, trapping the four beneath a sheet of ice for several hours.

More than 40 rescuers flew to the scene by helicopter to dig the trapped tourists free, according to a statement from the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry — but one victim was already dead upon their arrival. The others — including a teenage boy — were promptly evacuated to a hospital with severe injuries.

Related: Trippy 'reverse waterfalls' seen flowing backward

Rescuers flock to the scene of the collapsed waterfall.

Rescuers flock to the scene of the collapsed waterfall. (Image credit: Russian Emergency Situation Ministry)

Right now, no one knows what caused this year's deadly collapse. It's possible that an avalanche from a nearby volcano could have caused an ice block to break loose, according to Russian media reports, but this theory has not been confirmed. An investigation into the accident is underway.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Brandon Specktor
Brandon Specktor
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Brandon is the space / physics editor at Live Science. With more than 20 years of editorial experience, his writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, CBS.com, the Richard Dawkins Foundation website and other outlets. He holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona, with minors in journalism and media arts. His interests include black holes, asteroids and comets, and the search for extraterrestrial life.