Hokkaido earthquake: Swaying hotels and light fixtures reported by Hongkongers holidaying in northern Japan when 6.7 magnitude quake hit
At least 370 visitors in tour groups from Hong Kong are at the popular destination, as landslides and power outages wreak havoc
Hong Kong residents holidaying in Hokkaido recounted the terror and panic they felt on Thursday after a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit the northern Japanese island before dawn, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 150.
Thousands of tourists, including hundreds from Hong Kong, were stranded as the major air hub serving Hokkaido, New Chitose Airport, was shut down.
“The house was, like, swaying from left to right” when the quake hit, said Leung Wai-chung, a Hong Kong tourist who had checked into a guesthouse in downtown Sapporo, some 68km (42 miles) north of the epicentre, just hours before the quake hit.
“We were shaken from beds and then dashed out into the open space immediately,” he said. “The city was wrapped in total darkness. There was no electricity.”
The epicentre of the quake was east of the city of Tomakomai, some 52km (32 miles) south of Hokkaido’s capital city, Sapporo.