Woman Thought To Be Dead Wakes Up In Coffin At Funeral

A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital in Ecuador stunned her relatives by knocking on her coffin. Bella Montoya regained consciousness during the vigil, which was held in the city of Babahoyo on Friday, reported New York Post.

The relatives found her gasping for air. Ms Montoya is now back in hospital and is kept in the intensive care unit. Ecuador's health ministry has set up a committee to investigate the incident, BBC reported.

In a statement, the ministry said that the woman went into cardiorespiratory arrest- a loss of breathing and heart function, and did not respond to resuscitation attempts. The doctor on duty confirmed her death.

Ms Montoya's son, Gilber Rodolfo Balberan Montoya told local media that his mother was admitted at around 9 am and at noon the doctors declared her dead.

She was placed in a coffin for several hours. A video has gone viral on the internet which shows Ms Montoya lying in an open casket and breathing heavily. Paramedics are seen arriving and observing Ms Montoya before moving her onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.

She is in intensive care in the same hospital.

Mr Balberan told AFP, "Little by little I am grasping what has happened. Now I only pray for my mother's health to improve. I want her alive and by my side."