An old man was nearly crushed to death in his sleep when a giant water tank smashed through the ceiling of his room and landed on the floor just inches away from him.

The incident where a tidal wave of water then swept under the bed and splashed against the wall was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the OAP's bedroom in Wanning, in Hainan, China, at 2 AM on July 22.

Shocking CCTV footage shows the old man being startled and awakened by the sound of the upstairs neighbour's tank crashing through the ceiling.

The tank dragged a heap of debris and broken-off building material down with it, which landed within inches of the man.

He woke up confused and shouting, only to realise moments later just how lucky he had been to stay alive.

His left arm appeared to be scratched and bleeding, but he otherwise seemed unharmed.

After a few minutes of uncertainty, he searched for his slippers on the flooded floor as the broken tank had filled the room with water.

He slowly waded through the rubble and walked outside to safety at the end of the footage.

His grandson later said a strong typhoon tore off the neighbour's tank and caused it to collapse through the floor.

He said: 'The typhoon blew down the water tank from the second floor of the neighbour's home.

'Thankfully, Grandpa was shaken but unharmed. Good people, stay safe! Everyone can follow for updates.'