Violent Sandstorm Kills Five Children

A violent sandstorm at one of China’s most popular tourist sites killed five children who got lost in the haze and fell into ditches where they drowned.

The storms struck Dunhuang, a desert oasis famed for its caves, on Wednesday, damaging crops and electric cables, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.

Dunhuang is in Gansu province, 1,110 miles west of Beijing.

Xinhua said eight people got lost in the storm and fell into ditches. Three were saved, but five children drowned, it said.