Moment powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocks Japan sparking tsunami alert
People were sent running for their lives as the series of earthquakes struck.
This is the harrowing moment a 7.6-magnitude earthquakes struck Japan on New Year’s Day.
Footage has started to emerge showing the western coast shaking as the disaster hit at around 4pm local time (7am UK time), sparking fears for incoming tsunamis.
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A video from inside a home in the city of Kanazawa shows the walls moving left to right and furniture collapsing, while a child is heard crying in the background.
In another clip, cars at an underground parking lot can be seen moving back and forth, while a family with a young child takes shelter on the side.
People were seen running for shelter as the tremors began.
Dozens of buildings have collapsed so far and roads split in the middle amid the series of powerful earthquakes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama, meaning there is a possibility of waves of more than 9.84 ft.
These are the first major warnings since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
People along the west coast have been told to evacuate to high ground due to the risk.
Russia also issued warnings in its far eastern cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed a number of people are trapped inside collapsed homes.
No deaths or injuries have been confirmed yet, but he said the situation is still unclear.
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