Russian tour boat skipper gets three years' jail time for capsizing that killed five

A court in Russia's Buryatia Republic has handed down a prison sentence of three years and five months on a local tour boat captain for an accident that killed five people earlier this year.

The defendant, a 41-year-old male, was at the controls of an airboat carrying 16 passengers on Lake Baikal near the town of Turka when it became flooded and eventually capsized on May 19.

The defendant and 11 passengers were able to swim safely to shore while the remaining five passengers perished. One female survivor suffered a leg injury and was later treated in hospital.

An investigation revealed that the boat capsized after the captain executed a sharp turn while travelling above the maximum speed limit being enforced in the area.