Watch: Chinese city of Dunhuang swallowed up by gigantic wall of sand
Terrifying videos of a massive sandstorm, hundreds of feet high, engulfing a city in China on Sunday have gone viral on the country’s social media platforms.
In the videos, a wall of sand as high as 300 feet can be seen swallowing whole several parts of the city of Dunhuang in China’s northwestern Gansu province. One of the videos shows high-rise buildings covered in sand as the thick wall of dust moved across the city.
Local reports said the sandstorm blew in from the Gobi Desert that is in close proximity to Dunhuang, also known as the Silk Road city. The government has issued a yellow warning for sandstorms in the area, according to local media reports.
Police shut major routes across the city and asked drivers and motorists to avoid traveling as visibility declined to less than 20 feet.
Sandstorm today, #Dunhuang #沙尘暴 #敦煌 pic.twitter.com/XDpyhlW0PV
— Neil Schmid 史瀚文 (@DNeilSchmid) July 25, 2021
The South Morning China Post reported that the sandstorm tore through Dunhuang at about 3pm local time on Sunday.
A group of tourists who traveled to the city’s tourist attractions, including Mingsha mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park, to enjoy the sunset were trapped by the sandstorm, reported the Daily Mail.
Tourists at the nature park huddled together as the massive storm blew away their possessions.
On July 25, a #sandstorm hit Dunhuang in #Gansu province. A yellow alert for sandstorm was issued. pic.twitter.com/kuUo8rTfKf
— Zhengguan News (@ZhengguanNews) July 25, 2021
Mr Qin, a tour guide identified only by his family name, was quoted by reports as saying that the dust storm lasted only a short while.
A rare summer #sandstorm hit west of Gansu Province in the northwest of China. In Dunhuang city, a huge sand front was caught on camera as it was about to swallow a community. The storm shrouded the region for over 10 minutes and visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters. pic.twitter.com/7ksRBjud4v
— WatchTower (@WatchTowerGW) July 26, 2021
One social media user called it a “rare summer sandstorm.”
Wait for 2 seconds, the world is completely different. Dunhuang encounters a rare summer sandstorm. west of dunhuang is a thousand km of no man's land and Gobi Desert.But Many tourists are happy to face and have strange experiences😅😅😅. pic.twitter.com/84CUvAAgr3
— Sharing travel (@lsjngs) July 26, 2021
Another user called the sandstorm “extraordinary” and said that it was a “good time to be indoors with windows closed.”
Others expressed concern as Dunhuang vanished in the sandstorm in one video.
Heavy sandstorm wreaked havoc in northwest China's Dunhuang on July 25 pic.twitter.com/hoKq0KAF4J
— Press TV (@PressTV) July 26, 2021
Dunhuang is no stranger to harsh climate given its proximity to the Gobi desert, according to SCMP. Sandstorms typically occur from March to May, but are rare in summer.
The city is famous for its ancient Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, that were deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Meanwhile, residents of Hotan in western China in June captured a similar dust storm sweeping through the city. Local Chinese media has warned of extreme weather incidents that have become increasingly common across the country.
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