Three children died in a car found at the bottom of a river: what we know about the tragedy

As reported by the National Police of Ukraine on October 30, 2026, at around 11:00 a.m., a local resident contacted law enforcement. The man reported that his 13-year-old daughter had gone missing after leaving the previous evening to attend a friend’s birthday party. According to him, two boys, aged 15 and 16, who had also attended the party, went missing along with the girl.

Police immediately began search operations. Officers searched the community and sent alerts to all police patrols. During initial inquiries, they established that shortly before the disappearance, the children had been travelling in a VAZ 21099. At around 4:00 p.m., police found the car in a river in a neighbouring village. The bodies of all three missing children were inside the vehicle. According to preliminary information, the crash occurred at around 3:40 a.m. on October 30 in the village of Humentsi.

Law enforcement officers are currently establishing all the circumstances and causes of the tragedy. The investigation is ongoing.

We previously reported:

• Renault driver hits two 14-year-old girls in Lviv region: one killed
• Celebration ends with the deaths of three girls: drunk Mercedes driver flees after crash
• A BMW at 15 is no toy: crash in Pereiaslav claims the life of a 17-year-old Skoda driver
• Fatal collision: 17-year-old driver runs over and kills a 13-year-old child