Tourists Jailed After Stripping on Sacred Mountain to be Deported From Malaysia

Four tourists who were blamed for causing an earthquake after stripping off on Malaysia's highest peak were sentenced to three days in jail on Friday, time they had already spent in prison.

Dutch citizen Dylan Snel, 23, British student Eleanor Hawkins, 23, and Canadian siblings Lindsey Petersen, 23, and Danielle Peterson, 22, were expected to be released later on Friday, after paying a fine of 5,000 ringgit ($1,330) each. They will now be deported.

The four, who pleaded guilty to charges of obscene behavior in a public place, were among 10 foreigners who took their clothes off on May 30 and took photos on Mount Kinabalu — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is considered sacred by locals.

Malaysian officials in Sabah state, where the mountain is located, said their actions were disrespectful to the mountain, angered its spirit and caused an earthquake that killed 18 climbers on the peak six days later.

Half the group had already left Malaysia, reported the Washington Post but those who hadn't were detained, jailed and charged.

The court was told the women were topless while the two men were totally nude, he said. "They were remorseful and regretted their act, and had offered a public apology during mitigation," said the group's lawyer, Ronny Cham.

malaysiakini: Four foreigners held for stripping atop Mt Kinabaluhttp://t.co/zjEjc9YxA9 #SabahQuake pic.twitter.com/thr14eX6Hr

— Malaysia News (@Malaysia_Latest) June 10, 2015

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The Malay Mail newspaper said the court was told the group of 10 had challenged each other to see who could remain naked the longest in the cold, and ignored a plea by their mountain guide not to strip, calling him "stupid" and telling him to "go to hell."

Days later a magnitude-5.9 earthquake sent rocks and boulders raining down on trekking routes on the 4,095-meter (13,453-foot) mountain. The victims were nine Singaporeans, six Malaysians, a Filipino, a Chinese and a Japanese.

The quake damaged roads and buildings and also broke one of the famous twin rock formations on the mountain known as the "Donkey's Ears."

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan blamed the tragedy on the foreigners. "There is almost certainly a connection," he said, according to the Malay Mail. "We have to take this as a reminder that local beliefs and customs are not to be disrespected."

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said a traditional ceremony and ritual to appease the mountain spirits would be held as soon as possible.

During the trial prosecutor Jamil Aripin said there was no link between the earthquake and their act but it had outraged the local community.

Related: 'We Were Shocked by the Cruelty': Suspected Migrant Mass Graves Found in Malaysia

Photo via Flickr

The Associated Press contributed to this report.