Twenty-one people were killed after hail, freezing rain and strong winds surprised runners participating in a 100-km cross-country mountain race in China, state media reported Sunday.
The other participants are safe and sound since “at 3:00 am on Sunday morning, 151 participants were in a safe place,” according to the official Xinhua press agency, which specified that 172 people were participating in the race.
A missing runner was found at 9:30 a.m. local time, but “had already lost his life,” reported the CCTV television station, citing the local first aid center.
“This implies that this incident caused a total of 21 deaths,” added CCTV. The municipal authorities gave earlier a balance of 20 dead and one missing. (GG) (AFP)