Severe weather kills runners in China cross-country race

Rescuers in China say a number of people have died and others are missing in extreme weather during a mountain marathon cross-country race in the country’s northwest (Fan Peishen/Xinhua via AP)

Twenty-one people running a mountain marathon cross-country race have died in northwestern China after hail, freezing rain and gale winds hit the high-altitude track.

The rescue headquarters quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency said participants suffered from physical discomfort and the sudden drop in temperature.