VIDEO: Doctors shield patient as earthquake rocks Japan hospital during surgery

A dramatic security camera video has surfaced, showing doctors shielding a patient during an earthquake that struck a hospital in Kumamoto, Japan, last month. The footage, released by Kumamoto General Hospital, depicts medical staff grappling to maintain control of an operating table as the theatre trembled violently on July 28.

Four surgeries were in progress when the earthquake hit. In one operating room, where an abdominal surgery was being performed, lights flickered on and off while the medical equipment swayed violently. Two medical workers held down the table and shielded the patient, while others worked to secure equipment and maintain order. One staff member was thrown to the floor while trying to secure the moving equipment, and another opened a door to ensure an evacuation route remained accessible amid the shaking.

Despite the earthquake's intensity, the medical team successfully completed all four surgeries. The hospital reported that the earthquake caused significant shaking across parts of the region, but services were suspended temporarily and resumed normal outpatient operations on August 5.