Twenty-one people were killed after hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners taking part in a 100-kilometre cross-country mountain race in China, state media said.
One runner who had been missing was found at 9:30 am, but “had already lost their vital signs”, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the local rescue command headquarters.
“This suggests that this incident caused 21 deaths in total,” CCTV said. City officials had earlier confirmed 20 deaths and one person missing at a briefing earlier on Sunday.
Extreme weather hit a high-altitude section of the race held in the Yellow River Stone Forest near Baiyin city in northwestern Gansu province Saturday afternoon, city officials said.
Baiyin city mayor Zhang Xuchen said that at around midday a section of the ultramarathon course — between kilometres 20 and 31 — was “suddenly affected by disastrous weather”.
“In a short period of time, hailstones and ice rain suddenly fell in the local area, and there were strong winds. The temperature sharply dropped,” Zhang said.
Shortly after receiving messages of help from some participants, marathon organizers dispatched a rescue team that managed to save 18 of the 172 participants.
At around 2pm, weather conditions worsened and the race was immediately called off as local authorities sent more rescuers to help, Zhang said, adding that provincial authorities will further investigate its cause.
State news agency Xinhua reported that some of the runners suffered from hypothermia as a result of the weather, and Zhang said earlier that eight people were being treated for minor injuries in hospital and were in a stable condition.
Video footage broadcast on state media showed emergency rescue personnel in combat fatigues carrying flashlights as they climbed through the rocky terrain at night.
Source: AFP
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