Two deer herders have died and four were missing after their vehicle sank while crossing the Apuka River in the far eastern Kamchatka region.
Regional investigators said that the SUV stalled and started to drift before filling with water and sinking with eight people inside, Interfax reported Monday.
The driver and at least one of the passengers survived, said a spokeswoman for the regional police department.
Two bodies have been found, while the other four members of the group were unaccounted for.
The incident took place Sunday night but wasn't reported until Monday morning. All eight deer herders were from the Kamchatolenprom company.
Three Mi-8 helicopters were looking for the missing people, while members of the local fire service and volunteers have mounted a search-and-rescue operation on the ground.
The regional government has promised to provide monetary assistance to the families of the victims.
