Woman Declared Dead Wakes Up, Starts Crying Minutes Before Funeral Pier Was Set Ablaze

In a shocking incident, a COVID-19 infected woman, who was declared dead, woke up minutes before her cremation.

The 76-year-old woman's family found her alive when they took her to a crematorium in Baramati, located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

The victim, identified as Shakuntala Gaikwad, had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back and was in home isolation. Later, her symptoms became severe due to her age, News18 reported. Her family took her to a hospital in an ambulance but they were struggling to secure a bed for her. Gaikwad fell unconscious and the ambulance staff declared her dead. The incident took place on May 10 but it was reported Sunday.

The victim's relatives were informed and she was taken back to her village. Gaikwad woke up when the family members were about to light the funeral pyre. They were shocked as the woman opened her eyes and began crying, Khaleej Times reported.

Gaikwad was immediately rushed to a local hospital for further treatment, local authorities said. The current condition of the woman remains unknown.

The incident takes place as most states in India continue to be under lockdown amid an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Hospitals across the country have been reporting shortage of oxygen and beds. Early Monday, India recorded more than 280,000 COVID-19 cases.

In a similar incident last month, a 72-year-old woman who was declared dead by doctors was found alive minutes before her cremation. The elderly woman was rushed to a hospital in the state of Chhattisgarh but she died on the way. The woman was admitted to a local hospital with some health issues. Doctors were unable to find her vital signs and declared her dead. The woman had tested negative for COVID-19. At the crematorium, the woman's granddaughter found that the victim's body was not cold. She decided to call another doctor to check her vitals. It was later found that the woman was alive.