A Russian Instagram influencer’s birthday party took a horrible turn when over 50 pounds of dry ice was poured into a pool to create a stunning “visual effect,” leaving three dead and at least four injured, reports said.
Yekaterina Didenko’s Instagram story Friday showed her 29th birthday soiree starting out with festive pole dancing, sexy swimsuits and plenty of food and drink, the Daily Beast reported.
But a few hours later, she posted several videos weeping, saying the party had gone horribly awry after 25 kilograms — or about 55 pounds — of dry ice was poured into the Moscow pool where she was celebrating, the Moscow Times reported, citing investigators and Didenko’s account.
Didenko’s husband, Valentin Didenko, 32, unloaded the dry ice to dazzle guests with the smokey vapor but when he jumped in to cool down after a steamy sauna session, he stopped breathing and was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the outlet reported.
“I thought it was not true, it was a nightmare,” Yekaterina Didenko said on Instagram, according to News.com.au.
Two other party guests — Natalia Monakova and Yuri Alferov, both 25, were also pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Moscow Times.
Four other victims who survived the disaster suffered poisoning and chemical burns, the outlet said.
Yekaterina Didenko, a mom of two who has over a million Instagram acolytes, is a pharmacist who blogs about home remedies for illnesses, according to her social media account.
The Russian Investigative Committee has reportedly opened a criminal case into the incident, the Moscow Times reported, citing a statement from the police unit.
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, commonly used in haunted houses and nightclubs for the dramatic effects it displays.
However, the vapor produced can lead to high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood when it’s released areas with limited ventilation.
