Three dead after dry ice thrown into swimming pool during Instagram influencer’s birthday party

About 25kg of frozen carbon dioxide tipped into pool to impress guests with ‘visual effect’

Three people have been killed after dry ice was poured into a swimming pool during a birthday party in Moscow.

The victims had been celebrating the 29th birthday of Instagram influencer Yekaterina Didenko at a pool complex in the Russian capital.

About 25kg of dry ice was tipped into the pool with the intention of creating a “visual effect” to impress guests.

But people inside the pool reportedly instantly began to choke and lose consciousness.

Several people were injured during the stunt, including Ms Didenko’s husband, 32-year-old Valentin Didenko, who is reportedly among the dead.

The mother-of-two had earlier posted a video message telling her one million followers he had been rushed to intensive care.

Dry ice, which is frozen carbon dioxide, produces a heavy vapour when put into water.

The cause of the deaths is not yet known, but the vapour can cause an elevated level of carbon dioxide in blood when released in an inadequately ventilated space.

The Russian Investigative Committee is looking into the incident.

Spokeswoman Yulia Ivanova confirmed other people were injured in addition to the three deaths but did not specify how many.

The website for the bath complex shows it consists of about a dozen rooms that contain saunas or hammams, small pools and recreational equipment.

Ms Didenko is a qualified pharmacist who shares tips on how to save money on pharmaceutical products on her Instagram page.

Additional reporting by AP.