Locals Find 54 Severed Hands In Gruesome Discovery In Russia

Locals have made a gruesome and mysterious discovery of 54 severed human hands on an island in Russia.

The 27 pairs of hands were discovered about 30km from the Chinese border, not far from the city of Khabarovsk in Eastern Siberia.

Investigators rushed to the Beshennaya Channel to try to figure out why and how this repulsive haul managed to get where it was.

Fifty-three of the hands were sealed in a bag that had washed up on a snow covered island in the middle of the Amur River but one was lying separate to the rest of them.

When police discovered the macabre collection they laid it out on the snow to take pictures of it.

The find was made in an area that is a popular spot for fishing, but locals claim to have seen nothing suspicious.

The hands are all being checked for fingerprints - some have been successfully taken from one of the hands so far.

No-one is sure why the hands were cut off or how they ended up where they are.

The Siberian Times reports that there is a "mystery over who the sinister hands belonged to, when they were chopped off - and why."

There are a couple of theories though. One theory is that the hands were cut off as a punishment for theft.

Another slightly more compelling theory - even if it is still disgusting - is that the hands were cut off people who were already dead, potentially in a hospital morgue or another healthcare institution.

Local media reported that some medical related gear like bandages and plastic shoe covers (the kind you might find in a hospital) were found not far from the grisly remains.

Also unclear is why only hands have been found. It could be that they were originally attached to bodies that have been stolen and sold either on the black market or for research.

It is a possibility that in that case the hands would have been cut off to try to stop the bodies being identified by their fingerprints.

If that is the case, what became of the rest of their bodies seems to be the next mystery.

The Siberian Times reports that Russian police have declined to comment on the case.

Featured Image Credit: East2West News

Topics: World News, News, Weird, Russia

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

@TPWagwim