21 Runners Dead After Extreme Weather during ultra-marathon

Twenty one ultra-marathon runners have died after extreme weather conditions hit a 100-kilometer (62-mile) mountain race in northwest China.

The high-altitude Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon began on Saturday morning in sunny conditions. But by 1 p.m. local time weather conditions had turned, with freezing rain, hail stones and gale winds lashing runners in Gansu County, according to the state-run Global Times.

One runner who had been missing was found at 9:30 am, but "had already lost their vital signs", state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the local rescue command headquarters.

"This suggests that this incident caused 21 deaths in total," CCTV said. City officials had earlier confirmed 20 deaths and one person missing at a briefing earlier on Sunday.

Among the dead was the well-known runner Liang Jing, who had recently won a 100km (60 mile) race in Ningbo, according to Xinhua.

Bayin city mayor Zhang Xuchen apologised as organiser of the event at a news conference.

“We express deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured,” he said.

State news agency Xinhua reported that some of the runners suffered from hypothermia, and Zhang said earlier that eight people were being treated for minor injuries in hospital and were in a stable condition.

Video footage broadcast on state media showed emergency rescue personnel in combat fatigues carrying flashlights as they climbed through the rocky terrain at night.