Tourists capture avalanche footage in Xinjiang

Several tourists captured the scene of a recent avalanche at Glacier 2 of Muztagh Ata in Akto county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and posted the videos on social media.

According to CCTV News, massive amounts of ice and snow cascaded down the mountain from the peak, instantly forming a wall of snow and ice over 100 meters wide and hundreds of meters high, which surged through the valley carrying a dense cloud of snow and debris.

CCTV News quoted local fire and rescue authorities as saying that the avalanche occurred in an uninhabited area far from major transport routes and caused no casualties or property damage.

Muztagh Ata is located at the intersection of Akto county and Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county, with its main peak rising to 7,546 meters above sea level and covered by ice and snow for millions of years. Glacier No 2 is a high-risk zone of glacial activities that's not open to the public.

The Akto county's bureau of culture, sports, radio, television and tourism issued a public advisory on Saturday, warning that the glaciers No 1, No 2 and No 3 areas of Muztagh Ata within the county's jurisdiction are high-risk controlled zones that remain undeveloped and closed to the public, and lack safety safeguards and supporting service facilities.

These areas feature complex terrain and volatile weather conditions, posing major safety hazards including rockfalls, landslides, extreme weather events and altitude-induced hypoxia. Telecommunications coverage is weak, and rescue can be extremely difficult. The areas are unsuitable for any form of hiking, sightseeing or expedition activities, the announcement said.