The bodies of three children have been recovered after they fell through a hole in the ice along the Moscow River earlier this month, emergency authorities said Tuesday.
The children, identified as 12-year-old boys Bogdan and Ivan and a 13-year-old girl, Alina, went missing on March 7 during a walk in the Moscow region town of Zvenigorod, located around 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Moscow.
A major search operation involving more than 150 volunteers and rescue specialists was launched after they disappeared, though law enforcement authorities had told state media that the children were believed to have drowned.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry found the body of the first boy last Wednesday, followed by the body of the second boy on Friday.
On Tuesday, the ministry declared an end to an 11-day search operation after finding Alina’s body.
“This is an irreplaceable loss. It’s hard to accept and comprehend such a tragedy,” said Andrei Ivanov, who heads the Odintsovo district, adding that authorities would provide “all the necessary assistance” to the children’s families.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigative body, said last week that it launched a criminal probe into the disappearance of the children. It has not commented on the latest developments.
