![]() ![]() "In ultrarunning's biggest tragedy, 21 runners died during severe weather at China's Yellow River Stone Forest 100k on Saturday," the ultrarunning website said in a post Sunday. The terrain along the running course is complex and there was a possibility of short-term extreme weather in the area, according to local weather authorities. Many WeChat group chats involving the event's organizer and participants had released weather warnings for Saturday on Friday night, officials said. "We express our deep condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and the victims." "As the organizer of the event, we feel a deep sense of guilt and remorse," he said. The province has set up an investigation team to look further into the cause of the incident, Baiyin City Mayor Zhang Xuchen said. “At first I was a bit regretful, thinking it might have just been a passing shower, but when I saw the strong winds and rains later through my hotel room window, I felt so lucky that I made the decision,” she said.īiden on infrastructure plan: US and China in race over electric vehicles She was about 14 miles along when the weather grew angry, and she decided to turn around. ![]() "Although the weather forecast said there would be wind and moderate rain in Baiyin on Saturday, everybody believed it would be mild,” she said. Thermal-imaging drones, radar detectors and demolition equipment were brought in to aid the search.Ĭompetitor Mao Shuzhi told Reuters it was hot one day before the race. Local governments initiated an emergency response and organized over 1,200 rescue workers to search for the missing athletes amid mudslides and localized flooding. Some of the runners went missing and the race was halted. Participants posted videos requesting help in a WeChat group chat. Among the dead was Liang Jing, 31, an ultramarathon champion and three-time winner of the race. The temperature dropped again during the night because of the area's complex terrain and topography, making the search and rescue effort more difficult, authorities said. "Participants suffered from physical discomfort and loss of temperature due to the sudden drop in air temperature," state media reported. At about 1 p.m., hail, freezing rain and gales hit the area of the race's high-altitude stage as runners were climbing 6,500 feet above sea level in shorts and T-shirts. The officials cited a sudden, dramatic change in the weather during Saturday's race in the Yellow River Stone Forest. At least 21 ultramarathon athletes died after brutal weather swept across a mountainous area of northwest China during the Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon, state media reported Sunday.Īn additional 151 participants in the 62-mile race in Baiyin City in Gansu Province were accounted for, and eight people were hospitalized in stable condition, local rescue headquarters reported.
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