21 runners die due to extreme weather conditions in a ultramarathon in China

Twenty-one runners were killed after extreme weather hit a long-distance race in northwest China. Heavy winds and icy rain hit participants in the 100 km (60 miles) ultramarathon on Saturday in the Yellow River Stone Forest, a tourist area in Gansu province. The race was stopped when some of the 172 runners went missing, and a rescue operation was launched. Many of the stranded runners apparently suffered from hypothermia. Officials said 151 runners had now been confirmed safe, and eight of them injured. The race started on Saturday at 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT), with some of the participants wearing only shorts and T-shirts. Surviving participants said the forecast showed that wind and rain are expected, but nothing as extreme as they experienced. About three hours after the start, a mountainous part of the race was hit by hail, heavy rain and storms, which, according to officials from the nearby city of Baiyin, caused the temperature to drop. One runner, Mao Shuzhi, told Reuters news agency she was turning around when the weather changed. "The rain was getting heavier," Ms Mao said. She was about 24 km in the race at the time and had not yet reached the mountains.

She decided to go back to her hotel after having bad experiences with hypothermia, but others continued or were already in the worst affected areas.

Many runners apparently lost their way on the trail because the weather affected visibility.

According to state media, more than 1,200 rescuers were deployed, aided by drone drones and radar detectors.

The operation continued through the night until Sunday morning, during which a further drop in temperature further hampered the search, the Chinese Xinhua news agency reported.

The deaths have sparked public outrage over social media in China, with anger directed primarily at the Baiyin government and unhappiness over the lack of contingency planning.

Baiyin Mayor Zhang Xuchen told a news conference on Sunday: "As the organizer of the event, we are full of guilt and remorse. We express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured."