Khovsgol Nuur in northern Mongolia is a pristine lake, sister to Lake Baikal just 200 km away in Russian Siberia. It contains 1% of the whole world's fresh water and is one of Mongolia's favourite tourist destinations. Surrounded by high mountains populated by numerous rare species of plants, animals and fish, the area is a designated National Park and horseback is more or less the only means of transport. In winter the lake freezes to a depth of nearly one metre making travel much easier - vehicles simply drive on top of the frozen water and can cover the 100km length of the lake in a single day. On 8th February two Ural trucks belonging to the NIC oil company, carrying a total of 13,250 litres of petrol, set out from Moron town headed for Tsagaan Nuur in Rinchenlumbe district in the far north of the province. Tragically, just 200 meters from the shore and not far from the place where the tankers should get off the ice and head up into the mountains over Jigleg Pass, the ice...