Mystery of how nine hikers died in infamous Dyaltov Pass tragedy - which was blamed on secret weapon tests, avalanche and even aliens - could finally be solved after 67 years

Published: 17:38, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 17:51, 3 June 2026 The mystery of how nine hikers died in Russia's infamous Dyatlov Pass tragedy could finally be solved 67 years on after relatives launched a bid to exhume their bodies and reopen the investigation. Family members of the victims want a fresh criminal inquiry into one of the Soviet Union's most enduring mysteries and are calling for modern forensic examinations to be carried out on the remains of the young adventurers who perished in the northern Urals in 1959. The move threatens to reignite decades of conspiracy theories surrounding the Dyatlov Pass tragedy, which has been blamed variously on avalanches, secret weapons tests, escaped convicts, UFOs, yetis and Cold War espionage. The group, led by 23-year-old engineering student Igor Dyatlov, died after mysteriously abandoning their tent on a freezing mountainside in what Soviet investigators described as the result of an 'unknown compelling force'. Some of the victims were found wearing only underwear or socks in temperatures below -20C. Others suffered catastrophic injuries including fractured skulls and crushed chests. Two bodies were missing eyes and one was found without a tongue. Although Russian prosecutors concluded in 2020 that the group had been killed by an avalanche, relatives have never accepted the verdict. Pictured: A photo taken by Zinaida 'Zina' Kolmogorova on January 28, 1959, showing her hiking peers (from left to right): Lyudmila Dubinina, Rustem Slobodin, Semyon Zolotaryov and Nikolai Thibeaux-Brignolle The group, led by 23-year-old engineering student Igor Dyatlov (pictured), died after mysteriously abandoning their tent on a freezing mountainside in what Soviet investigators described as the result of an 'unknown compelling force' Some of the victims were found wearing only underwear or socks in temperatures below -20C Others suffered catastrophic injuries including fractured skulls and crushed chests Now lawyer Yevgeny Chernousov, acting for Dyatlov's sister Tatyana Perminova and other relatives, says the case should be reopened as a possible group murder investigation. 'We want to ensure that a criminal case is opened and an investigation is conducted,' he told state news agency TASS. Chernousov argues that crucial forensic procedures were never carried out during the original investigation. According to him, chemical and histological examinations that should have accompanied autopsies on the nine victims are missing from the case file. He claims fresh testing could finally determine whether the hikers were exposed to toxic substances or some other previously overlooked cause of death. The lawyer says exhumation is now necessary with modern forensic methods used to establish the cause of death. 'After the criminal case is opened, all nine tourists' bodies will need to be exhumed,' he told Russian outlet URA.RU. 'Then not only chemical examinations but also histological examinations will be conducted. Together, these new studies will help establish the truth.' The campaign also seeks to challenge the legal basis of the original Soviet investigation. Chernousov claims the 1959 case lacked essential documentation and should not be regarded as a valid criminal investigation. The reason could be a cover-up by the Soviet secret services. The renewed push comes amid continued fascination with the mystery, which has inspired books, documentaries, films and countless theories. Among the most controversial was a claim that the group was killed by American reconnaissance aircraft conducting secret Cold War missions over the Urals, while others have suggested Soviet missile tests, military experiments or classified intelligence operations. Pictured: The abandoned tent of the hikers This picture shows search for the missing hikers This picture shows (from left to right) Semyon Zolotaryov, Yuri Doroshenko and Igor Dyatlov Chernousov claims the 1959 case lacked essential documentation and should not be regarded as a valid criminal investigation The relatives also want Russian television channels to stop broadcasting what they describe as unfounded conspiracy theories about the hikers' deaths. One of these is the version that a yeti was responsible. A 'renowned doctor' said the broken ribs of victims Semen Zolotarev and Lyudmila Dubinina was 'the result of the squeezing of their chests by some big creature'. If permission is granted to exhume the victims, it would mark the most dramatic development in the Dyatlov Pass mystery since Russian authorities formally backed the avalanche explanation six years ago. No comments have so far been submitted. 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