Apocalyptic scenes as massive dust storm turns skies ORANGE in southern Russia (VIDEOS)

A giant wall of orange dust whipped up by strong winds has swept through southern Russia, painting the skies an eerie orange color while the gusts destroyed property and even injured some locals.

The storm ripped through Astrakhan Region, Republic of Kalmykia, known for its vast swathes of steppe, as well as Dagestan in the North Caucasus on Wednesday, wreaking havoc along the way.

Videos from Astrakhan Region on the Volga River showed deserted streets covered in thick orange mist and people running for safety. Some online commentators compared the striking images to those taken by rovers on the surface of Mars.

The mist was carried by strong winds, which, according to the local emergency services, reached speeds of up to 25 meters per second. The storm damaged power lines, rooftops and knocked down trees, some of which crashed down on parked vehicles.

A balcony collapsed in the city of Astrakhan as result of the storm, with the debris hitting a teenager who was walking underneath. In one of the villages, a 10-year-old girl was struck by a fallen tree. Both victims were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Footage from Dagestan showed a scared flock of sheep huddling together while being pelted by dust and sand. Local meteorologists said the phenomenon was caused by the collision of two air masses, as cold winds arrived in the region after a few days of warm weather.

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