(ECNS) -- A 35-year-old woman collapsed and died from severe altitude sickness on Friday during a team-building trip to Daocheng Yading Scenic Area in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, the scenic area authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Despite two hours of emergency medical efforts by fellow tourists and staff, she succumbed to hypoxia, officials said. An area spokesperson stressed the serious risks posed by high-altitude environments and reminded visitors to heed warnings about the region’s elevation. Guides and signage advise tourists to assess their physical condition and choose routes cautiously.
Daocheng Yading offers two hiking trails: a shorter 3-kilometer route averaging 3,800 meters above sea level, and a longer 3.7-kilometer trail that climbs to 4,500 meters. This tragedy echoes a similar incident on May 10, when a male tourist in Siguniang Mountain Town, Aba Prefecture, also died from acute altitude sickness after emergency treatment proved unsuccessful.
Altitude sickness, or acute mountain sickness (AMS), occurs when individuals ascend rapidly to elevations above 2,500 meters, causing oxygen deprivation. Symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. In severe cases, AMS can advance to life-threatening complications such as high-altitude pulmonary edema or cerebral edema.
To reduce the risk of AMS, health professionals recommend gradual acclimatization: visitors planning to ascend above 3,000 meters should spend at least 24 hours at intermediate altitudes (2,000–2,500 meters) before continuing upward. Whenever possible, traveling by train or car rather than flying directly to high elevations allows the body to adapt more safely.
(By Mo Honge)
京公网安备 11010202009201号