Three found dead after Moscow guided sewer tour hit by heavy rain

Several others missing after water levels in Russian capital’s sewers rose quickly after downpour

Three people were found dead and several others were missing after taking part in a guided tour of Moscow’s sewer system that was hit by heavy rain, state-run media said.

“The body of an unidentified woman has been found in the Moskva River, making her the third person to die after a tour of the underground sewers,” a source in the emergency services was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

According to the agency, water levels in the sewer rose quickly on Sunday after a downpour and the victims were unable to escape to the surface.

Video shared on social media showed investigators peering down a manhole cover in the capital, while divers searched the Moskva.

A number of tour guides offer trips down into the vast tunnels of the capital’s sewer system, some of which were constructed during the 19th century.

One urban explorer said there were shelters in the tunnel where people could escape, but that nobody could be found.

“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,” Daniil Davydov told the RIA news agency.

Police are investigating the organiser of the tour, local media said.