Unresolved mystery of Chamar-Daban tragedy echoes Dyatlov Pass
In the 90s, a tragedy occurred in the Chamar-Daban mountain range that remains difficult to explain today. The story is reminiscent of the 1959 incident at Dyatlov Pass. However, the 1993 event is less known but equally mysterious.
7 August 2024 18:52
The expedition seemed simple, led by 41-year-old Lyudmila Korovina, who took along 24-year-old Tatyana Filipenko, 23-year-old Alexander Krysin, 19-year-old Denis Shvachkin, 17-year-old Valentina Utochenko, 16-year-old Victoria Zalesova, and 15-year-old Timur Bapanov.
The 19-year-old went on the trip without his parents' knowledge and consent, leaving them only a short note: "I went to the mountains, I'll be back soon." Unfortunately, only one person returned from the expedition, who for several days was unable to speak.
The team set out on August 2, 1993
Initially, the expedition proceeded as planned. On August 4, the situation changed, and the weather deteriorated. Heavy rains began, accompanied by snow. According to the then 17-year-old participant, Valentina Utochenko, it was on this day that the excursion turned into a nightmare.
The temperature dropped rapidly, and the intensity of the rain increased by the minute. The group leader tried to organize the camp as quickly as possible to ensure participants' safety. By the next morning, they had not managed to start a fire, causing the expedition members to become drenched and chilled.
"His eyes were indifferent"
23-year-old Sasha Krysin complained of piercing cold in the morning. The heavy rain turned into snow, and the cold was not the tourists' only concern. The white snow covered all orientation points. Valentina Utochenko later recounted that Krypin fell, and Korovina stayed with him, telling the rest to descend further.
"Tanya took out a tent, and we all covered ourselves with it. I went to Korovina. Sasha's eyes were big and indifferent. Korovina checked Sasha's pulse and said his heart was not beating. She asked me to bring Vika down. I turned to her, and she bit me. Tatyana started hitting her head against the rocks. Denis hid among the rocks and crawled into a sleeping bag," recounted the sole survivor.
Utochenko realized that she was the only one conscious. Terrified, she decided to continue the journey. After four days, she was found by a group of Ukrainian kayakers. For several days, the 17-year-old was unable to speak.
When she finally spoke about the tragedy, rescuers could not set out to help due to bad weather conditions. The tourists' bodies were only found on August 26, 1993. Some of them were partially undressed, reminiscent of the mysterious tragedy at Dyatlov Pass.
Hypothermia and pulmonary edema the official cause of death
The bodies were transported to a hospital in the capital of Buryatia. All were found to have pulmonary edema, and five younger group members died from hypothermia. Korovina died of a heart attack. Investigators concluded that the tourists were hiking in extremely harsh conditions, so no criminal investigation was initiated, and the case was closed.
Others, however, believed that the incident was caused by emitted infrasound, which triggered disorientation and strange behaviour among the hikers. Another theory suggested ozone poisoning generated by a strong storm front.
The most likely cause of the tragedy was, however, the extreme approach of the expedition leader to mountain hikes. Her organized expeditions were known for a lack of food and a strenuous pace, which, combined with low temperatures, led to exhaustion and the participants' deaths.
