A Team of Scientists Is Trapped at Isolated Antarctic Base for 10 Months. 1 of Them Just Attacked and Threatened Others: Report

• A researcher has allegedly attacked fellow colleagues while stationed at an isolated base in Antarctica, according to a new report
• An email sent by one of the scientists said the person, who hasn't been named, was behaving in a "deeply disturbing" manner, per South Africa's Sunday Times
• An investigation is reportedly underway and the situation is being monitored

A researcher at an isolated base in Antarctica sent a worrying email accusing another team member of physical assault as well as threatening to kill somebody, according to a new report.

An overwintering team consisting of 10 members is almost entirely cut off from the outside world at South Africa's Antarctica base amid harsh weather conditions, per South Africa's Sunday Times.

According to the U.K. Times, the group is stationed at the SANAE IV (South African National Antarctic Expedition) base located in Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land.

Last month, one of the team members sparked concern after sending an email about a person's "egregious" and "deeply disturbing" behavior, accusing them of physical assault, as well as threatening to kill somebody, the Sunday Times reported.

"His behavior has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence,” the email read, per the outlet. “It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees."

“Regrettably, [his] behavior has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. Specifically, he physically assaulted [name withheld], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms," the message also said, the Sunday Times reported.

“Furthermore, he threatened to kill [name withheld], 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 team member's email reportedly said.

The person who sent the email and the alleged attacker have not been publicly named.

The message reportedly noted that "numerous concerns" about the person in question had allegedly been raised before the ship that brought them there had departed on its return journey, per the outlet.

The journey from Cape Town, South Africa, is approximately 2,485 miles and takes around 10-15 days depending on the amount of ice the group hits on the way, according to the Sunday Times.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), which manages the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), reportedly confirmed an investigation is underway regarding the email.

Per AccuWeather, temperatures in the area range this week from around 5 degrees to around -7.6 degrees.

“The department is responding to these concerns with the utmost urgency and have had a number of interventions with all parties concerned at the base,” DFFE spokesman Peter Mbelengwa said, the Sunday Times reported.

“A full investigation is being commissioned and the department will act accordingly in relation to any wrong conduct against any official that has misconducted themselves,” Mbelengwa added, per the outlet.

DFFE minister Dion George also confirmed he'd seen the email, the outlet reported.

According to the Sunday Times, the only way to leave the base right now would be "via emergency medical evacuation to a neighboring German base" around 186 miles away, citing two sources with inside knowledge.

DFFE's Mbelengwa told the outlet that tests had previously been done to "ensure the team can endure the psychological stress of isolation."

“In this instance, no negative outcomes were recorded in relation to all the overwinterers in Sanae, which forms a critical component of the department's risk assessment processes,” he said, according to the outlet.

"[They] are being taken through a thorough process and their various options are being discussed. During this unforeseen incident, the department is engaging with the professional that undertook the psychometric evaluation, to have the overwinterers reassessed and to assist with coping mechanisms during their time at the base, inclusive of conflict resolution strategies, interpersonal skills improvement as well as overall counseling and support," he continued.

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The first South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) departed in 1959, per its website. As well as SANAE IV, there is also one station each on the subantarctic Gough Island and Marion Island.

Professional explorer Alan Chambers, who completed a 700-mile skiing expedition to the South Pole in 2024, said of the Antarctica conditions, per the U.K.'s The Times, “From a psychological perspective it’s a very very lonely place. There’s very little interaction with humans or animals so if you’re in a camp or a research center you’re with those people for six months, if not a year."

“What I think it does, from a psychological point of view, is that everything becomes heightened. It’s all white — there’s no color, no noise and nothing you would see as normal so everybody’s behavior — including your own — gets magnified and the little things become the big things," he said.

The Sunday Times reported that a person was removed six years ago from the Marion Island base after "allegedly running amok with an axe."

DFFE's Mbelengwa didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.