Woman catches on fire after passing gas during surgery

A woman undergoing laser surgery in Tokyo caught on fire when she passed gas, according to reports.

The woman, who was in her 30s, was undergoing a laser procedure on her cervix on April 15 when she passed gas, The Asahi Shimbun reported. The escaping gas was ignited by the laser causing the surgical drape to catch on fire resulting in serious burns to her body, including her waist and legs.

The Tokyo Medical University Hospital where the procedure was performed recently released a report from outside experts who stated that no flammable materials were present in the operating room at the time of the blaze.

“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, according to the publication.

The report also stated that all operating room equipment was functioning properly.

The woman’s current condition is unknown.

Intestinal gas is comprised of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and methane. Bacteria makes up 1 percent of the gas and gives it its odor, The Washington Post reported.

Hydrogen and methane are flammable.

Most flatulence isn’t flammable, according to Inverse, but cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage and kale, contain high levels of methane when gut bacteria breaks them down, which ups the chances of the gas being ignited.