21 die as cold snap strikes marathon
Extreme weather in Gansu province of China takes runners by surprise as top marathon event turns into a deadly tragedy
BEIJING: In a freak weather tragedy, a total of 21 runners were killed in the middle of a 100km marathon after a deadly cold snap struck the long-distance mountain race in northwest China’s Gansu province on Saturday.
Freezing rain, battering hail, stormy weather and a sudden drop in temperature struck the ultramarathon race, which kicked off near Yellow River Stone Forest, a popular tourist site in Jingtai County, Baiyin City in Gansu. The victims included top marathon runners Liang Jing and Huang Guanjun, according to agency reports.
When the cold snap struck, the race, comprising 172 participants, was halted. Soon after, several runners were reported to have gone missing, and a rescue operation was launched.
By Sunday noon, the remains of the 21 victims had been recovered at the site of the tragedy, the rescue headquarters was quoted as saying by the news agency Xinhua. The other 151 participants were all confirmed safe, of whom eight suffered minor injuries and were treated in hospital, the media report said.
“According to the rescue headquarters, at about 1pm on Saturday, hail, freezing rain and gales hit the area of the race’s high-altitude stage, between 20-31km. Participants suffered from physical discomfort due to the sudden drop in air temperature,” the report said.
Rescue work was challenging due to the harsh, mountainous terrain, a further drop in the night-time temperature and poor communications signals.
More than 1,200 rescuers were deployed, assisted by thermal-imaging drones and radar detectors, according to state media. National broadcaster CCTV quoted rescuers as saying the low temperature was the biggest threat faced by participants as they wore thin clothes.
Baiyin’s mayor Zhang Xuchen said, “As the organiser, we are full of guilt and remorse. We express deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured.”