22 Hong Kong partygoers complain of severe eye pain and temporary blindness after weekend ApeFest NFT event

“The Hospital Authority has provided appropriate treatment and the condition of the patients concerned has stabilised,” a spokesman said.

Yuga Labs said it was reviewing lighting arrangements. “At this point, we’re actively looking into many data points and inputs, including, but not limited to fluorescent paint in one of our set-up areas and … UV lighting.”

About 2,250 participants and staff were present on Saturday.

CEO Daniel Alegre on Saturday told the Post that set-up work “started three days ago” because the terminal had a cruise arriving on Wednesday last week.

Evan Luthra, a technology entrepreneur, said he started to suffer extreme eye pain at around 6am on Sunday after he arrived at his hotel and that two of his friends also had the same symptoms.

“I couldn’t sleep, my eyes were on fire,” he said. “I literally couldn’t open my eyes – it would burn so hard.

“Like, I couldn’t see anything,” added the 28 year-old, based in Tulum, Mexico.

“I was actually washing my eyes every hour, so from 6am to 10am,” he said. “I was waking up every 30 minutes just trying to wash my eyes with water because I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t do anything.”

Luthra said his eyes still “hurt a little bit” on Tuesday and that he could not look at screens for more than five minutes at a time.

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But he used the medicine his friends had been prescribed by a doctor and was sure he was close to full recovery, he said.

ApeFest is an annual event organised by Yuga Labs, which created Bored Ape Yacht Club, one of the most recognisable NFT brands in the world.

The Hong Kong event, which ran from November 3 to 5, was the first time it had been held outside New York.

The party on Saturday ran from 5pm to 11pm and dozens of posts on X, formerly Twitter, later surfaced from people complaining of eye problems. Photos and videos online showed it was filled with colourful lighting.

An X user wrote that he woke up with a severe burning sensation in his eyes after the party and was diagnosed with “photokeratitis over both eyes, accident related”.

“I almost went blind that night – worst pain in the eyes I’ve ever felt,” he said. “A waterfall of tears that felt like acid that can’t be washed away.”

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But he said his eyes were later “tested as close to perfect with no serious cornea damage, luckily”.

Another X user named BobaBae, who attended the party and later suffered eye problems, told the Post she did not notice anything unusual and the event looked similar to last year’s.

The tech worker, based in the United States, said there was a photo experience spot which simulated a bathroom and was decorated with lights.

“People are saying it could be one of the lights there,” she said. “Nobody really knows. I don’t think it’s easy for them to investigate.

“At 3am the next day, I couldn’t open my eyes and they were teary. Then I just went back to bed, woke up and it’s all fine.”

Dr Chow Pak-chin, an ophthalmology specialist, said he suspected those affected had suffered photokeratitis, often called snow blindness, which happens when the unprotected cornea is damaged by exposure to UV rays.

The former president of the College of Ophthalmologists said anyone who developed similar symptoms to those reported should seek medical help as soon as possible.

Chow said he once saw a patient about 10 years ago who had the same condition, which had been caused by a stage light with a broken cover, adding he believed the same had happened to the partygoers.

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Symptoms such as extreme eye pain usually emerged a few hours after the exposure, he said.

“The severity of the condition depends on how large and deep the burn on the cornea is, and whether the patient has received the right treatment,” he said. “If it becomes infected, it can have a huge impact on eyesight.

“If the wound is deep, there may be scars, which will affect eyesight.”

Chow said event organisers were responsible for ensuring the safety of the lights and suggested audiences should close their eyes if any kind of light was beamed directly at them.