Shocked onlookers have captured a horrific moment a freak tornado hovered through a large Chinese resort and engulfed the site in seconds.
The clip has been shared online and captures the blackened sky looming over the scenic spot in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.
Thirty-three people suffered different levels of injuries after the giant column of wind struck a grassland in the suburbs of Baotou city, confirmed the officials.
Videos reportedly filmed by the resort staff show the freak twister first approaching the tourist spot before suddenly swallowing the site and covering the sky with thick dust.
A worker told Pear Video: ‘When we first saw it, it was quite small. Within ten seconds, it suddenly changed. There was yellow dust everywhere.
‘We were hiding in the bushes, and suddenly the sky turned black, like pitch black, even darker than the night sky.
Tornadoes can have wind speeds up to 483 kilometres per hour (300 miles per hour) and when they touch the ground can destroy trees and buildings in their path, throwing heavy objects like cars though the air like a Frisbee.
Tornadoes that occur over water are referred to as a waterspout and those which do not touch ground are referred to as a funnel cloud.
