China's only icebreaking research ship has been showered with 250 tonnes of ice and snow after hitting an iceberg in the South Pole, breaking the ship's mast but injuring nobody on board.

Key points: Chinese officials said dense fog was to blame for the collision

Chinese officials said dense fog was to blame for the collision The ship's mast and bulwark were damaged, but there were no injuries

The ship's mast and bulwark were damaged, but there were no injuries Personnel were filmed removing huge chunks of ice from the vessel

The MV Xue Long, which translates as Snow Dragon, was moving through the Amundsen Sea in "dense ice" when it struck the iceberg, China's Ministry of Natural Resources said in a notice posted on its website.

"During the voyage, due to the influence of dense fog, it collided with the iceberg," the ministry said.

The 20,000-tonne Snow Dragon was travelling at a speed of around three knots (5.56kph) at the time.

Footage shown on Chinese state television showed personnel using pickaxes, hoses and pulleys removing huge amounts of ice from the ship after the accident.

The vessel was showered with 250 tonnes of ice after hitting the iceberg. ( CCTV )

The Ministry said the ship's bulwark and mast were damaged, but that everyone on board was safe.

It said the ship's engine, power, communication and navigation equipment are all operating normally.

The research vessel was on its 35th Antarctic mission at the time of the incident. It was built in 1993 in Ukraine, but has had considerable upgrades over the years.

Snow Dragon, also known as Xue Long, is China's only icebreaking research vessel. ( ABC News: Peter Curtis )

A second icebreaking research ship called the Snow Dragon II is set to be completed later this year, and will be the first to be built in China.

China has been increasingly active in Antarctica over the past decade, with three bases, two field camps and three airfields on the continent.