A newly-opened glass walkway in a central China beauty spot has been shut down after cracks appeared in the structure, which was supporting dozens of tourists.

The cracks appeared, accompanied by a loud bang, on the walkway in Henan province's Yuntaishan area at the height of the week-long National Day holiday.

A single pane of the 223ft-long section shattered into coin-sized segments.

The area's management bureau said on its microblog that there was no threat to safety because only one of the three layers of glass that make up the walkway was damaged.

It said investigators were looking into the cause of the fissures and added that the walkway was able to support weights of more than 175lbs per square foot.

The structure hugs a cliff side about 400ft above a canyon in the remote mountain areas renowned for its scenery.