Surgeons in Kumamoto clung to an operating table and shielded a patient when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck on July 28. CCTV shows staff bracing equipment and quickly stabilising the theatre before resuming and completing the surgery. The quake killed around 38 people, injured more than 120 and caused major damage across Kyushu, leaving tens of thousands without water or power. Authorities continue recovery and relief efforts in heavily affected areas such as Hikawa and Kashima.
Surgeons Hold Down Patient As 7.1-Magnitude Quake Rattles Kumamoto Operating Theatre
Surgeons were able to complete the operation once things calmed own
Dramatic CCTV footage from a hospital in Kumamoto shows surgeons physically holding an operating table and shielding a patient as a powerful earthquake struck on the afternoon of July 28.
Measured at magnitude 7.1, the tremor sent lights swinging and equipment sliding across the theatre. In the video, two staff members can be seen bracing the table and covering the patient while other team members stumble and unsecured instruments fly about. One surgeon is thrown to the floor while trying to secure mobile equipment but quickly returns to help stabilize the scene.
After the shaking subsided, the surgical team resumed the procedure and successfully completed the operation, hospital officials said. The hospital later reported that normal operations had resumed on August 5 following safety checks and recovery work.
Eight hundred homes were destroyed in Hikawa, Kumamoto - Kyodo/via Reuters
Wider Damage and Human Impact
The quake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu and caused widespread destruction across Kumamoto prefecture and neighbouring areas. Local authorities reported around 38 people were killed and more than 120 injured. Parts of an Aeon Mall in Kashima collapsed, leaving at least seven people dead in that location, and an explosion was reported at another shopping complex. A factory chimney also toppled, according to the prefectural government.
Infrastructure suffered serious damage: roads buckled, buildings fell, and power and water supplies were disrupted. Officials said about 79,000 people were left without water and roughly 3,500 properties were without electricity for days amid sweltering 35°C heat. In the town of Hikawa, roughly 800 of the town's 4,500 homes were destroyed or damaged, forcing many residents to seek shelter—some even sleeping in their cars in parking lots while repairs and relief were organized.
Tremors from the quake were felt as far away as South Korea, underscoring the event's strength and regional reach. Emergency teams and local authorities continued recovery and relief operations in the aftermath.
Note: Hospital and emergency officials prioritised patient safety during the quake; the surgical team's actions helped protect the patient until it was safe to continue.
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