A POWERFUL 6.6-magnitude quake has rocked the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, killing at least eight people, collapsing homes and triggering landslides that left dozens missing.

Multiple, large-scale landslides struck the sparsely populated countryside, which was also hit by the edge of a powerful typhoon that surged through Japan earlier this week.

Aerial views showed dozens of houses destroyed at the bottom of a hill that was engulfed by a landslide, with a rescue helicopter winching a resident to safety.

Around three million homes lost power after the quake damaged a major thermal plant supplying the region.

The Tomari nuclear power plant in Hokkaido, which was not operational before the quake, was forced to turn to emergency back-up power to keep its cooling system working.

Kazuo Kibayashi, 51, a town official at hard-hit Abira town, told AFP: “There was a sudden, extreme jolt. I felt it went sideways, not up-and-down, for about two to three minutes.

“It stopped before shaking started again. I felt it come in two waves. I am 51, and I have never experienced anything like this. I thought my house was going to collapse.

“Everything inside my house was all jumbled up. I didn’t have time to even start cleaning.”

Several people believed missing in the town of Atsuma, according to local police, after a landslide swept through homes.

“We urge residents in areas hit by strong tremors to heed information on television and radio and act by helping each other,” Suga told a press conference.

TV footage shortly after the quake showed people coming out of their houses in the early hours of the morning following the quake.

“The government will work in unison towards reconstruction while giving the top priority to saving human lives,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

Officials warned of the risk of further quakes.

“Large quakes often occur, especially within two-three days (of a big one),” said Toshiyuki Matsumori, in charge of monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis at the meteorological agency.

He added the risk of housing collapses and landslides had increased in the area hit by the quake, saying: “We urge residents to pay full attention to seismic activity and rainfall and not to go into dangerous areas.”

Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.

In June, a deadly tremor rocked the Osaka region, killing five people and injuring over 350.

On March 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0-magnitude quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.

Japan is still recovering from the worst typhoon to hit the country in 25 years, which struck the western part of the country on Tuesday, claiming at least 11 lives and causing major damage to the region’s main airport.