"A fall from 4 to 5 metres delivers enough force and energy to cause the chest injuries of the rav 4 it equates roughly to about 27kJ"
"Not three large fractures of a young female's rib cage. Maybe multiple impacts (people landing on top of her) but i don't see that injury profile from a single fall."
What if they did fall on top of each other? It was dark, they were probably walking in a line behind each other and the snow gave way because of the water running underneath creating a weak spot?
"The more ribs that are broken, the more likely lungs or other organs are to be damaged." "Usually, a blow strong enough to cause flail chest also bruises the lung beneath the injured area"
Dubinina:
In places of fracture of the ribs there are diffuse
hemorrhages in the
intercostal muscles.
In the area of the sternum hand on the right a
diffuse hemorrhage.
Heart size 12 x 4 x 5. In the region of the
right ventricle of an irregular oval shape, a
hemorrhage of 4 x 4 cm, with diffuse
impregnation of the right
ventricular muscle.
"
Intercostal muscles are several groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall, which protect the lungs."
Semyon:
"After the extraction of the organocomplex from the thoracic and abdominal cavity, the II, III, IV, Y, YI ribs on the right are determined along the okologo-ore and mid-axillary line with
hemorrhage into the adjacent
intercostal muscles."
"multiple fractures of the ribs on the right with internal bleeding into the pleural cavity in the presence of a low temperature effect".
"The
pleural cavity is the thin fluid-filled space between the two pulmonary pleurae of each
lung."
So there were bruises to the lungs (pleural cavity) and intercostal muscles, which sit over top the lungs.
"The spleen is located
under the ribcage and
above the stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It usually lies between the 9th and 11th ribs".
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Costillas.png/180px-Costillas.pngIt looks as if the spleen sits below the area of damage seen in Dubinina and Semyon' ribs. Dubinina's fractures are on the left side, but only her 7th rib and those above was fractured, not those below.
Nikolai:
"crushed fracture in the region of the crest and base of the skull, with a profuse hemorrhage to the brain membranes and to the brain substance"
And so there were bruises to Nikolai's brain, (which underlies the skull) too.