The astonishing video captures a chaotic scene as dozens of vehicles collide on an ice-covered roadway due to freezing rain.

Smartphone footage showed the vehicles colliding like dominoes on the ice-covered road in the city of Xi'an, in Shaanxi, China, on the evening of February 20.

The startling scene first depicted a cluster of cars stranded mid-road being hit by a black vehicle hurtling at an alarming speed and struggling to halt on the frozen road despite efforts to brake.

Shortly, several subsequent vehicles swiftly joined the collision.

As the car count in the accident increased, the end of the clip showed a yellow vehicle skidding and spinning multiple times before hitting another car.

Eyewitnesses said that the roadway had become dangerously slippery overnight due to freezing rain. More than 30 vehicles were reportedly involved in the incident.

One local said: 'The freezing rain weather in Xi'an was so terrible. In just 30 seconds, dozens of cars collided with each other downstairs.

'Passing vehicles should drive cautiously and slowly, safety first.'