4 tourists die in 'Sea of Death' desert after car breaks down on dried-out lake

31 July 2023 , 15:10

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Three men and a woman died of thirst in the 'Sea of Death' desert (Image: AsiaWire)

Four thrill-seekers have died of thirst after their vehicle broke down in a desert known as the "Sea of Death", which they entered without permission.

The travellers were reportedly attempting to cross the Xinjiang Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve, a dry lake in a desert located in north-western China when the tragedy happened. They had set off on July 22 and were said to be unprepared for the extreme conditions ahead.

The adventure-seekers entered the nature reserve despite not having authorisation as part of a self-organised convoy and got lost somewhere along the way. It is suspected that their vehicle, which was last in line, broke down and left the four people aboard - three men and a woman - trapped in 70C temperatures.

The rest of the group reportedly made it back safely and reported the missing vehicle to local authorities on July 26. Following extensive search and rescue operations, the vehicle was located on July 27, with two of the men and the woman found dead inside and the fourth person missing.

A rescue team was immediately created to search for the missing man, who was also found dead on the night of July 29. Emergency crews discovered the man's corpse lying on his back in the sand. It is believed that after their vehicle broke down, he tried to search for help on foot while the three other passengers stayed behind waiting.

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The Lop Nur National Wild Camel Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 26,000 square miles, is extremely dangerous to enter during the summer months as surface temperatures can reach up to 80C. Cars can easily get stuck in the loose sand and without proper equipment and large food and water supplies, it can quickly turn into a deadly experience.

The reserve is also closed off to tourists who are only allowed to enter with special permission as it is one of the three remaining habitats of the Wild Bactrian camel, a critically endangered species. Local authorities told Chinese media: "In this protected area, there are wild camels that we protect. Their numbers are very small, and they were almost extinct before.

"The number of endangered wild animals that belong to the area has slowly increased a little in the past few years. They are very timid and afraid of people. Their habitat is in no man's land, so we locals never go there, for fear of disturbing them and destroying their ecological environment."

Officials added: "We welcome visitors to come to us, but without obtaining consent or communicating with relevant departments, you must not enter this area alone, not only for your own safety, but also for the area animals' protection."

Simona Kitanovska