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A gigantic swarm of locusts that belong to a plague that has ravaged millions of acres of crops across east Africa has been spotted reaching the Chinese border.

Billions of the insects have destroyed food supplies across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia in what has been described as the worst plague for decades.

With vast swathes of the population in the region already facing food shortages due to poverty, the United Nations has warned action must be taken to avoid another “shock” to the region.

But footage has now surfaced showing thousands of the locusts seemingly reaching the border of China, adding yet more problems to a country struggling to contain the deadly coronavirus.

(Image: TWITTER/@kboOCtayzFJnXwx)

The clip is believed to have been taken on the Xinjiang border in the west of the country on February 15.

It shows the blue sky filled with the locusts as far as the eye can see.

The plague has flown across the Red Sea into Europe and Asia in recent days.

Pakistan – which borders China – recently declared a national emergency over the locusts.

But the Communist Party of China has tried to downplay the severity of the swarms reaching the country.

They claim their modern technology and sufficient stocks which have not been seen in Africa will prevent any widespread damage.

That has had little impact among residents already worried about the spread of coronavirus though, which has already killed 1,770 people in mainland China.

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“I worry that locusts will become a carrier of pneumonia (a major symptom of coronavirus),” one wrote on Twitter.

Another said: “You can believe what the experts say? Just listen to it.”

One expert, quoted by the Epoch Times, warned that the locusts could pose a direct threat to China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

But others were less worried, suggesting they would not be able to spread into the snowy region of Xinjiang.