A surgical team in Japan was thrust into a life-or-death challenge when a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake jolted their operating room while a patient was still under anesthetic.
Dramatic CCTV video from a hospital in Kumamoto captures the moment doctors and nurses rushed to secure the operating table and protect the patient as the theatre began shaking violently.
The footage shows the medical staff fighting to stay upright as the room swayed from side to side, with equipment trembling, objects shifting and ceiling lights flickering above them.
At one point, a medic falls to the floor while attempting to control moving equipment, as two colleagues hold firmly onto the operating table to prevent it from sliding during the tremor.
Japanese media reported that the surgery was paused briefly because of the earthquake, but the operation later continued and was finished successfully. The hospital resumed normal operations on August 5.
The major earthquake hit the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on the afternoon of July 28, killing around 38 people and injuring more than 120 others.
Authorities said the powerful quake sparked an explosion at a shopping centre, toppled a factory chimney and left significant destruction across Kumamoto Prefecture.
Surgeons in Japan were caught in a 7.1 magnitude earthquake during an operation, as violent shaking rocked the operating theatre with a patient still on the table
Extraordinary CCTV footage shows medics grabbing shielding the patient as the room shakes violently around them at a hospital in Kumamoto
The surgical team can be seen struggling to keep their footing as the theatre lurches from side to side, with equipment rattling across the room and lights flickering overhead
Homes and other buildings collapsed, roads cracked apart and thousands of properties lost electricity in the aftermath.
More than 79,000 people were left without running water and around 3,500 homes remained without power for several days as temperatures climbed to 35C. Around 9,000 residents sought refuge in emergency shelters.
The tremor was also felt across the sea in South Korea.
Seven people died when the Aeon Mall in the town of Kashima collapsed during the earthquake.
The town of Hikawa was among the worst affected, with local authorities estimating that more than 800 of its 4,500 homes were destroyed or damaged.
Many people whose homes had become uninhabitable spent the following nights sleeping in their cars.
Last month terrifying videos emerged showing the power of Japan’s deadly earthquake, with shoppers shown running for cover, roads buckling and buildings collapsing.
Ferocious tremors struck the country on July 28, with homes and office blocks seen shaking uncontrollably, a train up-turned and an early tsunami warning issued.
Rescuers frantically searched through rubble after an explosion at the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima Town reduced the building to rubble. Its second floor collapsed in the immediate aftermath of the quake.
Footage on social media shows members of the public running for cover and crouching down on the floor as the ground shook at the shopping centre.
Further videos on social media showed clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed a building, while firefighters scrambled to tackle the blaze.
A separate clip showed the section of a collapsed bridge lying in a river in Yatsushiro City, while another showed how multiple freight wagons were derailed at Yatsushiro Station.
Sections of the Kyushu Expressway, a major highway linking Fukuoka and Kagoshima, suffered severe damage.
Footage appeared to show how sections were separated from the main structure following the quake, while separate images showed how parts of the road appeared to have split in two.
Scenes also showed shoppers screaming inside a Costco supermarket in the aftermath of the tremor.
Footage shows toppled-over boxed food items, as people climb over knocked-over shelves.
Large cracks appeared on major roads, including an elevated highway, and a goods train derailed, according to NHK, while rail services were halted and flights grounded.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, evacuated workers from its plant in the area as a precaution, a spokesperson for the firm said.
Sony and Fujifilm also evacuated staff from their plants in the area, Nikkei newspaper reported.
