Patient's fart causes fire in Japanese operating theatre

A patient breaking wind during a surgical procedure sparked a fire that caused her to be seriously burnt, according to Japanese media reports.

The fire occurred at Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward on 15 April, reported the Asia News Network.

The patient, in her 30s, was undergoing an operation that involved applying a laser to her cervix, the lower part of the uterus.

The laser was reportedly ignited by the gas she passed and she suffered burns to her waist and legs, said a report by a committee of external experts who examined the case.

It found no fault with the equipment used in the surgery.

"When the patient's intestinal gas leaked into the space of the operation [room], it ignited with the irradiation of the laser, and the burning spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape and causing the fire," the report said.