Moment Japanese surgeons cling to patient in operating theatre as 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:26, 7 August 2026 | Updated: 01:27, 7 August 2026 Surgeons were forced to battle a 7.1 magnitude earthquake mid-operation after a violent tremor sent an operating theatre rocking with a patient still on the table. Extraordinary CCTV footage shows medics grabbing hold of the operating table and 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.  One medic is knocked to the floor while trying to steady moving machinery, while two others cling to the operating table to stop it shifting during the quake.  According to Japanese media, the procedure was briefly interrupted but later resumed and was completed successfully. The hospital returned to normal service on August 5.  The huge earthquake struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on the afternoon of July 28, leaving about 38 people dead and more than 120 injured. Officials said the force of the quake triggered an explosion at a shopping centre, brought down a factory chimney and caused widespread damage across Kumamoto Prefecture.  Surgeons were forced to battle a 7.1 magnitude earthquake mid-operation after a violent tremor sent an operating theatre rocking with a patient still on the table Extraordinary CCTV footage shows medics grabbing hold of the operating table and 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.