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Team set up to probe ultramarathon tragedy
1 2021-05-25 16:21:37chinadaily.com.cn
Editor : Jing Yuxin
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Rescuers search for missing people at the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Jingtai County of Baiyin, Northwest China s Gansu province, May 23, 2021. (Photo/Xinhua)
A joint investigative team has been set up to probe the ultramarathon race in Gansu, with marathon and meteorological experts involved.
21 competitors died after the annual mountain ultramarathon in Baiyin was hit by severe weather on Saturday.
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21 runners die as extreme weather hits China marathon
World
May 24, 2021
Beijing: Twenty-one people were killed after hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners taking part in a cross-country mountain race in China, state media said on Sunday.
The extreme weather struck a high-altitude section of the 100-kilometre (62-mile) race held in the scenic Yellow River Stone Forest in northwestern Gansu province Saturday afternoon. Among the dead were elite Chinese long-distance runners, local media reported.
Official news agency Xinhua confirmed that 21 of the 172 participants had died, citing the local rescue command headquarters. The other 151 are now safe, according to state media. Baiyin city mayor Zhang Xuchen said that at around midday Saturday a section of the rugged ultramarathon course between kilometres 20 and 31 was suddenly affected by disastrous weather .
Another 151 participants were confirmed safe, of which eight with minor injuries were treated in the hospital.
It was a public safety incident caused by a sudden change in local weather, and the province had set up a special team to further investigate the cause of the incident, said Zhang Xuchen, mayor of Baiyin city, yesterday morning.
The marathon race was held on Saturday morning in the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Jingtai county, Baiyin city.
According to the rescue headquarters, at about 1pm on Saturday, hails, freezing rain and gales hit the area.
Participants suffered from physical discomfort and loss of temperature due to the sudden drop in air temperature.