21 runners die in mountain race in China due to hail, freezing rain and wind

Twenty-one people died after hail, freezing rain and high winds surprised runners participating in the a mountain race a 100 km cross-country race in China, state media reported on Sunday.

The other participants are safe and sound Since “at 3 am Sunday morning, 151 participants were in a safe place,” according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, which said 172 people participated in the race.

A runner who was missing he was found at 9:30 am local time, but “he had already lost his life,” CCTV television reported, citing the local first aid center. “This implies that this incident caused a total of 21 deaths,” CCTV added. City officials earlier gave a death toll of 20 and one missing.

Two marathon figures

These victims include two national marathon veterans, Liang Jing and Huang Guanjun, the local press said, citing the coach of the first, Wei Pulong, and a friend of the second, who said the organizers of the test confirmed this.

Liang has won several marathons in China in recent years. Huang, who was deaf and mute, won the men’s marathon for the hearing impaired at the 2019 National Paralympic Games in Tianjin.

The ultramarathon took place in the stone forest park of the Yellow River, near the town of Baiyin in Gansu province.

Eight participants were treated in hospital for minor injuries, Baiyin mayor Zhang Xuchen reported. Xinhua previously claimed that some runners were hypothermic.

“Around noon, eThe high altitude section of the 20- to 31-mile run was suddenly affected by dire weather conditions. In a short time, hail and freezing rain suddenly fell on the area, and there was strong winds. The temperature has dropped sharply, ”explained Zhang Xuchen.

Shortly after receiving calls from some participants asking for help, marathon organizers dispatched a rescue team who managed to save 18 runners, he added.

“Abrupt climate change”

About 14 premises, conditions worsened and the race was canceled, while the local authorities sent no more lifeguards on site, added.

“This is a public safety incident caused by abrupt changes in the weather in a local area,” he said. He added that provincial authorities would thoroughly investigate the causes. More than 700 rescuers mobilized to search for the missing.

Images from local media showed Rescue teams with headlamps climbing the rocky terrain at nightand. Ultra-marathon runners were wrapped in emergency blankets.

“All my body He was soaked, including the shoes and socks. I couldn’t stand the wind, I was very afraid of being blown away by the wind. The cold was getting more and more unbearable, ”a survivor told local press. “Coming down the mountain, I was already experiencing symptoms of hypothermia.”

The temperature continued to drop overnight, making rescue efforts and the search for the missing even more difficult, according to Xinhua.
Gansu, one of the poorest regions in China, It borders Mongolia to the north and Xinjiang to the west.
In the past, this province has been plagued by deadly floods and landslides.

The Yellow River Stone Forest is known for its rugged mountainous landscape marked by stalagmites and stone pillars, and often serves as the backdrop for many Chinese TV shows and movies, according to the China Daily.

Marathons and extreme sports have become popular among the Chinese middle class in recent years.
Chinese marathons, however, have often been marked by scandals. In 2018, for example, more than 250 runners were disqualified from the Shenzhen Half Marathon for wearing false numbers or taking shortcuts.