This is the shocking moment restaurant diners jump up and flee for their lives as an earthquake strikes during their meal.

The incident occurred in Hefei, Feidong County, Anhui Province, China, on Wednesday, September 18, with CCTV footage showing the diners happily enjoying their meal.

Suddenly, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake shakes the building, causing everyone to jump up and run to safety as other customers emerge.

A noise that appears to be a car alarm can be heard outside the restaurant as the footage ends.

The restaurant's owner said that all the diners returned after the earthquake to pay their bills, so he offered them a discount.

Local media reports indicate that the earthquake struck at 8:08 p.m. that evening at a depth of 12 kilometres.

The owner reportedly alerted the diners when the earthquake began and evacuated the building.

He said: 'I felt something was off, and I immediately thought it might be an earthquake.

'When I reached the door, I shouted that there was an earthquake, and then they all ran out.'

He said that at the time, on the spur of the moment, he did not think to ask his customers to settle their bills, but they all returned to pay anyway, for which he was grateful.