Terrifying moment huge 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Japan as tsunami hits shores and people flee swinging buildings

SHOCKING footage shows the terrifying moment a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Japan – sparking a tsunami warning.

Waves struck the city of Miyazaki on the southwestern island of Kyushu – less than 30 minutes after the 6.9 magnitude quake hit.

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Warnings have been lifted in several coastal areas of Kyushu and the nearby island of Shikoku, but a tsunami alert remains in place for Miyazaki.

Officials urged people to stay away from the coast – with one-metre waves expected to hit.

So far, waves of up to 50cm have struck Kyushu.

Japan ‘s Meteorological Agency said: “Tsunamis will strike repeatedly.

“Please do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted.”

The 6.9 magnitude quake struck at 4.42pm (7.42 UK time) at a depth of 33km off the coast of Miyazaki, the US Geological Survey said.

It initially reported that a second 7.1 quake hit less than a minute later – but later said there had only been one tremor.

“This error has been fixed. There was one event,” the USGS said.

Footage taken at a bowling alley shows TV screens swinging violently from the ceiling as shaking lasts for more than two minutes.

And panicked shoppers were seen rushing for shelter and crouching on the floor as the tremor rocked a busy mall.

Another video showed the moment the quake hit Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu as warning sirens sounded.

The man said: “First time in my life I’ve felt shaking like this.

“Normally I barely feel it when I’m outside or in a car, but it shook to the point that even when I’m standing, there was a fluttering feeling.”

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said 12 nuclear reactors on Kyushu and Shikoku have not been damaged.

Japan’s government has set up a special task force in response to the quakes.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said officials are assessing possible injuries or serious damage.

It comes after Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake on New Year’s Day – leaving at least 318 dead and thousands of homes destroyed.

The 7.6 magnitude quake sparked a tsunami – with waves reaching heights of 21ft in some areas.

And a string of huge aftershocks toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure.

Three people are still missing after the disaster.

Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, Japan is one of the world’s most tectonically active countries.

Home to around 125 million people, the country experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 per cent of the world’s earthquakes.

The majority are mild – but the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth ‘s surface at which they strike.

Japan has strict regulations to make sure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes – and hold regular drills to prepare for a major jolt.

The country is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude quake off northeastern Japan in March 2011.

It triggered a catastrophic tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The tsunami sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant – causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

In March 2022, a 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people.

The capital Tokyo was devastated by a huge earthquake a century ago in 1923.