Twenty-one people running a mountain ultra-marathon have died in northwestern China after hail, freezing rain and gale force winds hit the high-altitude race, state media reported on Sunday.
After an all-night rescue operation in freezing temperatures involving more than 700 personnel, rescuers were able to confirm that 151 people were safe, out of a total of 172 participants. Twenty-one had died, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, which said the runners suffered from physical discomfort and the sudden drop in temperature.
