A Taiwanese national died of hypothermia and altitude sickness on Monday in China after being caught in heavy snowfall while hiking in Qinghai Province’s Laohugou area, which stranded more than 250 hikers, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said today.
The deceased was among hikers stranded by severe weather in the Laohugou area on Sunday while traversing from Gansu Province to Qinghai Province, Chinese media Red Star News reported yesterday.
By about noon on Tuesday, all 251 people who had been stranded in the area were brought to safety, but one Taiwanese hiker died of hypothermia and altitude sickness, the report said.
Photo taken from Pixabay
In response to media inquiries, the SEF, a semi-official body responsible for managing cross-strait exchanges between Taiwan and China, confirmed today that the Taiwanese national died on Monday.
In a statement, the foundation said it received a call on Tuesday from a company reporting that its employee stationed in China fell ill while hiking during a holiday and, amid heavy snowfall, died of altitude sickness and hypothermia.
China observed an eight-day national holiday from Wednesday last week to yesterday for its National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, prompting many people to travel domestically.
Both the SEF and the Mainland Affairs Council declined to disclose the deceased’s age, gender or employer in response to requests, citing personal data protections and the family’s wishes.
The SEF said it outlined steps for document authentication and customs clearance for cremated remains when the firm sought guidance on follow-up arrangements.
The foundation said it asked a Taiwanese business association in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, to help confirm details with the local Taiwan Affairs Office, which is run by Chinese authorities.
The deceased person’s family is scheduled to fly to China this afternoon, meet company staff and then travel to Qinghai Province to handle follow-up arrangements, the SEF said.
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