'Dead' woman found to be alive just before burial

A 'dead' woman from Ecuador was found to be alive just hours before her burial. Mourners had gathered for the funeral of a 76-year-old woman who had been declared dead by the doctors of a suspected stroke. According to the BBC, when people opened the woman's coffin after 5 hours of a vigil to change her clothes for the funeral, she was gasping for breath. However, The Guardian has reported that after 5 hours of the vigil, the mourners heard banging sounds coming from the coffin. When they opened it they discovered that woman was alive and struggling to breathe.

The woman had been admitted to the hospital on June 9 with a possible stroke and when doctors reportedly could not revive her they declared her dead. A death certificate was also issued. Ecuador's health ministry has launched an investigation.