Refinitiv Newscasts - Extreme weather in China kills 21 in ultramarathon

GIB Capital

23/05/2021 09:35

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Source: Thomson Reuters

Description: Twenty-one people were killed when extremely cold weather struck
during an ultramarathon on Saturday in rugged Gansu province in northwestern
China, state media reported on Sunday, sparking public outrage over the lack
of contingency planning. Bryan Wood reports.
Short Link: https://refini.tv/3oO3arF

Video Transcript:

>> An ultramarathon in Northwest China became fatal after extreme cold weather
struck on Saturday. That's according to state media Xinhua on Sunday, which
said 21 people were killed in the rugged Gansu province. The 62-mile race
kicked off earlier in the weekend with nearly 200 runners clad in t-shirts,
and shorts under overcast skies, nearest site along the Yellow River. The
route would take runners through deep canyons, and up to elevations over 3000
feet. A mountainous section of the race was hit by hail and freezing rain by
midday on Saturday. Xinhua reported that over 1200 rescuers were dispatched,
but a landslide following the severe weather hampered their efforts. The
deaths sparked outrage on Chinese social media, mainly directed at the
regional government over its lack of contingency planning. Several official
weather reports predicted strong winds, and drops in temperature over the
weekend. Officials bowed and apologized on Sunday during the news briefing.
Taking responsibility for the tragedy