Sad News: 2 woman dies and 6 hospitalized in ‘tragic’ half marathon incident in Milford Sound just minutes ago due to terrible crash with…..

Organisers of a 2021 ultramarathon in north-west China during which 21 runners died in extreme weather conditions have been sentenced to years in prison for their roles, state media reported.

 

Five individuals involved in planning the ill-fated event were given jail terms ranging from three to five and a half years by a court in Baiyin, a city in Gansu, the province where the deaths occurred, the state news agency Xinhua reported late on Friday.

 

In May 2021, the 100km (62-mile) cross-country mountain race turned deadly as freezing rain, high winds and hail hit the competitors.

 

The five defendants were convicted for “organising a large-scale event that led to a significant safety incident”, said Xinhua.

In the provincial capital, Lanzhou, an official was sentenced to four years and 10 months for “dereliction of duty and bribery”, and another to three and a half years for “dereliction of duty” alone, Xinhua added.

Survivors and bereaved seek answers after 21 deaths in China ultramarathon

Long-distance running and other extreme sports have been booming in China in recent years, as the government promotes exercise for all ages, though slipshod organisation has repeatedly caused problems.

The 2021 deaths raised questions over why organisers apparently ignored the incoming extreme weather and led to renewed calls for tighter laws surrounding sporting events.

 

After the deaths, Beijing’s sport ministry announced that events without national safety standards would be suspended, including mountain trail running, wingsuit flying and ultra-long distance running.

 

This is what we’re up against

Teams of lawyers from the rich and powerful trying to stop us publishing stories they don’t want you to see.

 

Lobby groups with opaque funding who are determined to undermine facts about the climate emergency and other established science.

Authoritarian states with no regard for the freedom of the press.

Bad actors spreading disinformation online to undermine democracy.

But we have something powerful on our side.

The Guardian is funded by readers, like you in Nigeria, and the only person who decides what we publish is our editor.

 

If you want to join us in our mission to share independent, global journalism to the world, we’d love to have you on side

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*