16 people were killed during a mountain race in China

Follow-up - INA

At least 16 people were killed and 5 others are still missing in northwestern China due to a wave of bad weather that swept runners who were participating in a 100 km mountain race.

The official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday morning that bad weather hit the area during the race, which was held in the Stone Forest of the Yellow River near the city of Baiyin in Gansu Province in the northwest of the country, noting that the race was stopped immediately.

The agency added that as of three o'clock on Sunday, 16 people have been found dead, and rescue operations are continuing to find five people who are still missing.

For its part, the government "People's Daily" said in a tweet on "Twitter" that 151 runners had been safely evacuated under the heavy rain.

Gansu, one of the poorest regions of China, borders Mongolia to the north and Xinjiang to the west.