A research group trapped at a small base in Antarctica fear for their safety after team member allegedly attacked and threatened to kill a colleague.
The team of 10 scientists, from South Africa, are stuck at Sanae IV base and could be there for several more months due to extreme weather conditions making it almost impossible to get in and out of the area.
One of the group sent an email claiming a colleague had attacked and made threats to kill another member of staff and had also sexually assaulted a researcher.
The author of the email, which was shared with South Africa’s Sunday Times, wrote: ‘Regrettably, his behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing.
‘Specifically, he physically assaulted [X], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms.
‘Furthermore, he threatened to kill [X], creating an environment of fear and intimidation.
‘I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.’
The person emailing said called for something to be done immediately to ensure their own safety and that of the team.
‘I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence,’ they added.
Neither the author of the email or the accused have been identified in the article.
South Africa’s environment minister Dion George said he would speak with the team to assess the situation.
He added: ‘There was a verbal altercation between the team leader and this person. Then it escalated and then that person did physically assault the leader.’
He said an initial investigation into the alleged attack said the accused man did not have immediate ‘dangerous intentions’.
But he said South African authorities have reached out to authorities in Norway and Germany, who have bases closest to Sanae IV, ‘in the event that we need to do an urgent intervention’.
The conditions in Antarctica are some of the harshest on earth and average temperatures at this time of year around around -23C. Winds, meanwhile, can sometimes reach as much as 135mph.
This means the team will spend most of their time inside the base.
Mr George added: ‘You can imagine what it’s like. It is close quarters and people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.’
But he said the team will have undergone a rigorous psychological evaluation to ensure they are suitable the challenging environment.
Alan Chambers, an explorer who undertook a 700-mile skiing expectation in Antarctica last year, said that from a psychological perspective the South Pole is a ‘very very lonely place’.
He said if you are stuck with a group of people for months on end things become heightened.
‘It’s all white – there’s no colour, no noise and nothing you would see as normal so everybody’s behaviour – including your own – gets magnified and the little things become the big things.’
He added that you need to be very happy with yourself to be stationed in an environment like that.
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