Dramatic photos and videos have emerged of an “apocalyptic” dust storm that swept over the capital of the western African nation of Niger on Monday.

One video shows a huge wall of sand engulfing buildings in the city of Niamey. Other images show a red, Mars-like landscape that some witnesses described as “apocalyptic”.

“My apocalypse bingo card is full now,” wrote one Twitter user, while another called the spectacle “utterly terrifying”.

“I witnessed it, and that was damn scary,” said a third witness.

Tweet from @dnblane

Dust-laden winds and sandstorms are common in West Africa during the dry season, which usually lasts from January till April. But it has been some time since Niamey had seen such a large storm – hundreds of metres high in some places.

“This is actually rather unusual. Some people are saying that it’s God punishment,” a spectator wrote.

Tweet from @franxstrax