Swallowed by the tsunami: Horrifying new footage shows life and death race to outrun giant wave

By Richard Hartley-parkinson
Last updated at 9:06 PM on 12th April 2011

The sheer panic of people trying to flee the Japanese tsunami has been captured in a newly-released video that shows the life and death race to outrun the wave.
The fate of some of those in the footage is unknown as the water rises so quickly that they simply disappear in the swell carrying cars and buildings.
Residents from the town, believed to be called Minami-sanriku, are seen running up the side of a hill to safety as the water behind them closes in on them.
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However, many people don't make it and the water simply swallows them up despite the efforts of other people around them.
A group can be seen towards the end of the footage desperately trying to pull what are believed to be sick or elderly people up a steep ridge.
A person in a blue coat runs back down the hill to the aid of someone who is stuck. He is aided by another person in a red jacket and as it looks like they are about to succeed the water rises and pulls them into the water.

Rescue efforts: To the left edge of the photograph two people can be seen carrying someone up the banks while others help another person unable to cope with the steep incline

Rescue efforts: To the left, people can be seen carrying someone at the edge of the photo while others try and help someone up a bank as the waters - carrying rubble and debris - begin to sweep before them

But their efforts are in vain. The water rises in a matter of seconds and moments later the person they are trying to save and one of the rescuers appears to vanish

But despite their efforts, the speed of the rising water engulfs the person they are trying to save - and one of the rescuers appears to vanish. The man in the red jacket can be seen through the trees

Desperate: A woman runs as fast as she can and keeps looking back to see where the water is. The wave is moving much faster than her and as the roof moves closer towards her the camera pans away. Her fate is unknown

They desperately cling to the person they were trying to rescue but in doing so they are quickly dragged with the tsunami, which struck on March 1.
The camera footage is shaky and pans away at that point, but it appears that he hits a hand rail to a staircase and this forces him to let go. The other two disappear.

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Other people are seen running between buildings and up a bank that temporarily slows the water down.
One woman, however, desperately climbs the bank and runs from the wave - carrying a roof towards her - which is moving far quicker than she is. The camera then moves away so the fate of that woman is also unknown.

Distant problem: Clouds of smoke and dust can be seen rising in the distance but many people have already made their way up the hillside

Getting closer: The cloud of dust moves inland. towards the bottom of the camera is a straight line that slows the water, but only momentarily

Devastation: Buildings are tossed around and ripped to shreds as though they were made with matchsticks

Panic: People run between buildings towards the hill. The person in black is climbing a small bank that also slows the water

Other new footage has emerged of a car being swallowed up by the water as its occupants drive along a coastal road.
Apparently unaware of the water swelling up behind sea defences just yards away, they continue on their journey.
But then the wave crashes over the barrier and onto the road. It is too quick for the driver and their passengers and soon envelops the car, tossing and turning it as it bobs along the water.