Japan Earthquake Video Shows River Violently Wobble Before Tsunami

Video footage, purportedly taken in western Japan, shows the water in a river rocking from side to side as earthquakes reaching 7.6 in magnitude shook the island nation and caused a tsunami.

Newsweek could not immediately verify the exact location of the clip. Other footage, taken in Toyama, a city on the western coast of Japan's main island, to the north of Kyoto, shows tsunami floodwaters moving up the Jinzu River.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen tremors off of Japan's western central coastline shortly after 4 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) on Monday, at a "very shallow" depth.

The agency issued a major tsunami warning for the Ishikawa prefecture, which borders Toyama, as well as lower-level warnings or advisories for much of the coast. It has since confirmed that a 3-meter (nearly 10 feet) wave hit the central western coast, with a meter height seen elsewhere.

Japan is particularly prone to earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis, sitting along the boundaries between the Pacific, Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plates. In 2011, a major earthquake and tsunami caused a series of meltdowns at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed in a press conference that "there are no abnormalities" with the functioning of a nuclear power plant in the affected region.

The earthquake appears to have impacted Wajima, the city closest to the estimated epicenter, the hardest. Clips posted on social media show roofs caved in, while others show large cracks in streets and power lines listing to one side in Uchinada, a town in the Ishikawa prefecture.

Aerial footage showed a huge fire that broke out in Wajima due to the earthquake, while another clip shows an entire metro station shaking violently before the power is cut.

Many buildings had been damaged by earthquakes, at least six containing now trapped residents, while electricity outages had affected 30,000 homes, The Associated Press reported, citing Japanese government officials.

No deaths or injuries have been confirmed, but Hayashi cautioned that the situation remained unclear. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that hospitals in Ishikawa, Niigata and Fukui prefectures were receiving patients injured in the tremors, including some who had suffered broken bones after being hit by falling objects.

"We spare no effort in our emergency disaster response, including saving lives and rescuing disaster victims," Hayashi said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida issued a statement outlining his instructions to government departments and emergency responders, including "prioritizing human life above all else."