Video footage circulating on Chinese social media allegedly shows two couples who began fighting over a selfie spot on Mount Everest.
According to The Independent, the incident reportedly occurred at an observation deck in Tibet on June 25, after a tour guide had asked a group of tourists to pose for a photo on the viewing platform next to the Everest Elevation Measurement Monument. Per the Chinese news and information content platform Toutiao, the two couples then began to argue over "who would get to stand where."
However, witnesses claim that the verbal argument escalated into a full-blown physical altercation. In the footage, the two men, both reportedly Chinese, can be seen punching each other and then wrestling on the ground. While one of the women attempted to break up the fight and pull the men apart, the other woman was said to have jumped into the fracas and began kicking the other man.
In still images provided to The Daily Mail, the two men and two women can be seen battling it out.
Punch-up... on Mount Everest! Couples brawl after getting into a petty argument while taking photos at the top of the world https://t.co/BXWODkQZZa pic.twitter.com/61Hhx7Mmbn
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) July 1, 2024
Mount Everest border police were said to have arrived at the scene to break up the fight not long after and all four individuals were taken into custody. An investigation is being conducted, though, it's currently unclear whether either of the parties sustained injuries in the brawl.
This Mount Everest climbing season marks the first time that China has reopened access to the Tibetan side of the mountain since the Covid-19 pandemic. Beginning in April, the country issued up to 300 annual permits for non-Chinese climbers.
While it's unusual to hear of people getting into fistfights on Mount Everest, there has certainly been no shortage of bad tourist behavior.
Last year, a Nepalese Sherpa went viral after calling out hikers and trekking companies for leaving their trash on the mountain after encountering the "dirtiest camp [he had] ever seen." Not to mention, long lines and overcrowding have been leading to an uptick in hiker deaths in recent years.
