The death toll rose to 21 on Saturday when an ultra-marathon race in China’s northwestern Gansu province ran into extremely cold weather, following information that 16 people were killed. The public has expressed outrage at the authorities’ lack of contingency plans.
The 100-kilometer race began at a lush tourist spot at a bend in the Yellow River, Reuters reported Sunday, May 23, citing Chinese official media. The race route takes in deep gorges and hills on a plateau more than 1,000 meters above sea level.
The race kicked off Saturday morning with runners wearing T-shirts and shorts under overcast skies, according to photos posted on the social media accounts of the Yellow River Rock Forest in Jingtai County, which is under the jurisdiction of the city of Baiyin.
Hail, freezing rain and high winds hit a mountainous section of the race around noon Saturday, causing temperatures to plummet, Baiyin city officials said at a news conference Sunday.
More than 1,200 rescuers were assisted by thermal imaging drones, radar detectors and blasting equipment, Xinhua reported. However, landslides that occurred after the bad weather appeared also hampered rescue efforts, according to Baiyin city officials.
A total of 172 people took part in the race. As of Sunday, 151 participants had been confirmed safe, while the last missing runner was found dead at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, according to state media.
The low temperature in Jingtai County on Saturday was 6 degrees Celsius, excluding the cooling factor of cold winds.
Moderate to strong winds are expected in Baiyin city — including Jingtai County — from Friday night through Saturday, according to a report from the China Meteorological Administration Friday evening.
On Thursday, another report on the website of the Gansu Provincial Meteorological Bureau also predicted a “significant” drop in temperatures in most of Gansu – including Baiyin – through Sunday.
The deaths sparked public outrage on Chinese social media, with anger directed mainly at Baiyin’s municipal government and frustration over the lack of contingency plans.
One netizen wrote, “Why doesn’t the government read weather forecasts and do risk assessments?” .” This is a completely man-made disaster. Even if the weather was unexpected, where is the contingency plan?”
At a news conference Sunday, Baiyin city officials bowed and apologized, saying they were saddened by the tragic deaths of the runners.
The Gansu provincial government has set up an investigation team to further investigate the cause of the deaths, according to the Communist Party media People’s Daily.
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