Extreme weather kills 21 in Chinese ultramarathon
Twenty-one people died as hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners taking part in a 100-kilometre cross-country mountain race in China.
The extreme weather came on Saturday afternoon during a high-altitude section of the race held in the Yellow River Stone Forest, near Baiyin city in north-western Gansu province.
Chinese media reported that elite long-distance runners from the country were among the dead.
The body of the final missing competitor was found yesterday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“This suggests that this incident caused 21 deaths in total,” CCTV said.
Baiyin Mayor Zhang Xuchen said a section of the ultramarathon course, from the 20th to the 31st kilometre of the race, was “suddenly affected by disastrous weather” at about midday on Saturday.
“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,” he said.
After receiving calls for help, organisers sent out a rescue team that assisted 18 of the 172 competitors.
The race was called off as conditions worsened at about 2pm, and authorities sent out more rescuers, Mr Zhang said.
Top domestic marathon runners Liang Jing and Huang Guanjun are among the dead, according to media reports that quoted a friend of Huang’s and Wei Pulong, Liang’s coach.
Liang won several Chinese ultramarathons in recent years, while Huang won the men’s hearing-impaired marathon at the 2019 National Paralympic Games in Tianjin.
State news agency Xinhua reported that some of the runners suffered from hypothermia.
Mr Zhang said eight people were being treated for minor injuries in hospital and were stable.
He said authorities offered “our deep mourning for the victims and deep condolences to their families and the injured runners”.
Footage broadcast on state media showed rescue personnel in combat fatigues carrying torches as they climbed the rocky terrain at night.
Some marathon runners were wrapped in blankets and put on stretchers.
“My whole body was soaked through, including my shoes and socks,” one participant said.
“I couldn’t stand up straight because of the wind and I was very worried I’d be blown over.
“The cold became more and more unbearable. While descending the mountain, I was already experiencing hypothermia symptoms.”
Xinhua reported that temperatures in the mountainous terrain dropped further overnight, making search and rescue operation “more difficult”.
Yellow River Stone Forest is renowned for its rugged mountain scenery marked by stone stalagmites and pillars.
Gansu, one of the country’s poorest provinces, borders Mongolia to the north and Xinjiang to the west. Deadly floods and landslides have affected the area in the past, and it is also prone to earthquakes.
Marathons and extreme sports have become increasingly popular among China’s middle class in recent years.