ApeFest, a festive gathering for “Bored Ape Yacht Club” NFT enthusiasts in Hong Kong took an alarming turn as several attendees reported distressing eye injuries and skin damage, reportedly caused by UV lights used on the event’s stage.
The Verge reports that the Bored Ape Yacht Club’s ApeFest, a much-anticipated event by NFT collectors and crypto fans, became the center of a health scare when individuals came forward with complaints of eye pain and symptoms resembling severe sunburn. The injuries are consistent with exposure to UV light, which was seemingly used as part of the event’s stage setup.
Customers view an NFT gallery featuring “Degen Apes” at the Solana Space retail store at Hudson Yards in New York, US, on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
Social media platforms, particularly X/Twitter saw a flurry of posts from attendees seeking medical help. Among the alarming posts, one attendee, known as @CryptoJune777, described waking up at 4:00 a.m. with a loss of vision and intense pain, necessitating a hospital visit. The diagnosis pointed to Photokeratitis, colloquially known as “welder’s eye,” a condition typically caused by exposure to UV radiation.
[For information purposes only]
So far, 30 hours since woke up with severe eye burn, I’ve visited emergency hospital and eye clinic and spent there a total of 6 hours.
Got diagnosed with “photokeratitis over both eyes, accident related” with prescribed steroid eye drops and eye… https://t.co/qZadVqsQFg pic.twitter.com/5EULptCR4H
— Adrian Zduńczyk, CMT (@crypto_birb) November 6, 2023
In response to the growing concerns, Yuga Labs, the blockchain enterprise behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club, issued a statement. “We are actively reaching out and in touch with those affected to better understand the root cause,” communicated Emily Kitts, a spokesperson for Yuga Labs. She emphasized the company’s commitment to attendee safety and noted that the reported cases constitute less than one percent of the event’s attendees and staff.
The injuries appeared to be caused by UV lights that were not suitable for use at events. This incident bears an uncanny resemblance to a 2017 episode where partygoers at a Hypebeast event in Hong Kong suffered similar symptoms. The investigation revealed that the cause was lighting intended for disinfection purposes.
Read more at the Verge here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.