Died Of THIRST – French Tourist’s DEADLY Plan

Sunset in the barkhan dessert in Kazakhstan

In the remote desert of Kazakhstan stands the Baikonur cosmodrome, where Russia launches rockets to space. It contains a number of dilapidated marvels, which appeal to adventurers, tempting them on the perilous journey into the restricted zone.

That temptation roved too much for a 25 year-old Frenchman, who set off across the Kazakh desert with a 27 year-old friend, only to die of dehydration in the attempt on the tenth of June. The dead man’s companion ha been arrested.

Russia rents, rather than owns, the cosmodrome. The area is heavily restricted and staffed with guards drawn provided by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Tours are available (for an additional fee) to members of the public who are willing to pay to see a launch.

The cosmodrome sprawls across the deepest parts of Kazakhstan’s steppe desert terrain. To reach it, one must journey over twenty miles from the nearest town, Bikonur (which lends its name to the cosmodrome). It is the world’s first ever spaceport, and the location which launched both Vostock 1 crewed by Yuri Gagarin (the first manned space mission) and Sputnik 1 (Earth’s first artificial satellite). Even today, it remains the world’s largest launch facility, and its historic significance and many derelict spacecraft see security teams regularly playing cat-ant-mouse with explorers who sneak off the guided tours or cross the desert on their own to get a look at some of the priceless Soviet junk hiding in abandoned hangars on the site.

The harsh climate sees the temperatures in the early summer regularly spike above 39 degrees centigrade (102 Fahrenheit).

Russian officials told the TASS news service that they discovered the French adventurers hiking inside the security perimeter, and one of them seemed to fall ill. The ill man’s partner hiked to a security checkpoint and asked the guards for help, but his buddy died before assistance could arrive.

Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.