Seven workers die in Altay due to frigid weather

Seven road construction workers in Altay City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, died under extreme cold weather conditions, with their bodies found on Sunday.

Altay has been experiencing a cold snap since November 24. Due to the suspension of construction amid the frigid conditions, 14 workers were arranged by the construction unit to move to Allahak Town, about 4 kilometers away, on Saturday night.

The workers were transported in two cars. While the first car arrived at the destination, the second car, carrying eight workers, got stuck on national highway G217 at around 7:10pm. The workers then decided to walk back to the construction site but got lost.

According to the person in charge of the site, he called the police at around 8:30pm after visibility was reduced to less than 3 meters amid increasing wind force and plummeting temperatures, hitting 34 degrees Celsius below zero. Snowfall accumulated to more than 1 meter deep on some sections of the road.

The eight missing workers were ultimately found around 11:10am on Sunday, and rushed to hospital. Unfortunately, seven of them were dead while the survivor is recovering.

An investigation has been launched by the local government.