The Malaysian government has blamed a group of foreign tourists for a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on one of the country's most sacred mountains after they had taken nude photos upon getting to its peak.
The earthquake on Mount Kinabalu killed at least 16 people on Friday, and authorities are still searching for at least two others.
According to Daily Mail, a few weeks ago, the 10 foreign holiday-makers stripped naked, posed for a series of photographs and were accused of urinating as the scaled the mountain in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
The photos didn't appear on social media until days before the earthquake.
Reports say Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah Tan Sri , Joseph Pairin Kitingan said on Saturday that he believes the tourists caused the earthquake.
According to BuzzFeed, Pairin said that the earthquake was 'confirmation' that Mount Kinabalu was sacred and that people 'cannot take it lightly.
The Malay Mail Online reported that Pairin saw a flock of birds outside his home and had a feeling something bad might happen, he told Malay Mail Online.
He said: 'At first I didn't think anything of it, but after it went on for more than half an hour I knew something was not well. I brought it up with my wife and we bought agreed that something bad was going to happen.
'The next day, I was on the way to the airport when the earthquake occurred. To me, when something like this happens, it is a clear connection of the incident to the earthquake that has brought about so much damage and loss of lives.
'There is almost certainly a connection. We have to take this as a reminder that local beliefs and customs are not to be disrespected.'
He added that he plans to charge five tourists who authorities have identified.
Local official Datuk Masidi Manjun added that the identified suspects will not be allowed to leave the country until their cases are resolved, according to the Malay Mail Online.
Located on the island of Borneo, the 13,435ft peak has protected status within a national park and is considered a sacred site by Sabahans, The Star reported.
Photos showing the tourists stripping at the Unesco World Heritage Site caused outrage in Malaysia, with their tour guide claiming they broke away from the main group and ignored his requests to keep their clothes on.
Ten male and female tourists – believed to include two Canadians, two Dutch and a German – allegedly called their mountain guide 'stupid' and told him to 'go to hell' as he escorted 27 holidaymakers, The Malay Mail reported.
Those who have been identified are Canadians Lindsey and Danielle Peterson, Dutch citizens Dylan Thomas and Eleanor Hawrins, and German citizen Stephan Pohlner.
Lindsey and Danielle Petersons' father, Floyd Peterson, told the Canadian Press that he had no idea what his children were up to.
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