Photo: Screenshot from CCTV News

An avalanche recently struck Glacier No. 2 on Mount Muztagh Ata in Akto County, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with several tourists capturing footage of the dramatic scene with their mobile phones, China Central Television reported Sunday.

A massive volume of snow and ice cascaded down the slope of the summit, instantly forming a wall of snow cloud that measures more than 100 meters wide and hundreds of meters high. Carrying ice and snow debris, the avalanche surged through the valley.

The local fire department said that the avalanche occurred in an uninhabited area far from major roads, causing no casualties or property damage, per CCTV News.

Mount Muztagh Ata has a main peak standing at 7,546 meters, with its summit covered by snow and glaciers for millions of years. Glacier No. 2 is a high-risk area that is not open to the public, with a relatively high risk of glacial activity.

The Akto County culture and tourism bureau issued a notice on September 5 warning tourists that the unopened high-risk areas of Mount Muztagh Ata feature complex terrain, rapidly changing weather and significant safety hazards. Communication signals are also weak, while rescue conditions are extremely difficult.

The bureau strictly prohibits unauthorized entry into the unopened high-risk areas and bans all potentially hazardous activities there, including sightseeing, hiking, exploration, crossing and photography, per the report.

Global Times