The woman who was found alive in her coffin has died in intensive care.
Ecuador’s health ministry confirmed that Bella Montoya, 76, died from an ischemic stroke after spending a week in intensive care.
Initially, the elderly woman had been admitted to a hospital in Babahoyo with a possible stroke and cardiopulmonary arrest.
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An on-duty doctor declared her dead after she did not respond to resuscitation, the ministry said.
According to her son, her death certificate said that she had died of 'cardiorespiratory arrest due to suffering from an unspecified cerebrovascular disease'.
However, on 9 June, the family took her to a funeral home, where they started to hear strange noises coming from the coffin.
Son Gilberto Balberán told The Associated Press: "It gave us all a fright.
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"There were about 20 of us there.
"After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds."
Montoya, who was still alive, was then rushed back to hospital.
But sadly, after seven days in intensive care, her family said that she passed away on Saturday (18 June).
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The health ministry added that she had been under 'permanent surveillance' but did not provide further information on the medical investigation surrounding the case.
A technical committee will review how the hospital issues death certificates, the country’s ministry of health said last week.
Balberán said he had not received any report from the authorities about what happened and added that things 'are not going to stay like this'.
Similarly, in 2021, an elderly woman woke up just moments before she was about to be cremated after her family thought she had died.
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Shakuntala Gaikwad had reportedly contracted COVID and was isolating in her home when her condition became worse.
Her family then rushed her to hospital but, due to the ongoing spike in COVID cases in India, the hospital was unable to provide her with a bed so she remained outside in a private vehicle.
It was during this time that Shakuntala apparently stopped breathing, which led to her family believing she had passed away.
The family then took her home to start preparing her body for cremation, when the elderly woman woke up again, just moments before the funeral bier was about to be set alight.
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She was said to have opened her eyes and started crying.
Her current condition remains unknown.
Featured Image Credit: Yuri Arcurs / Alamy Stock Photo Jack Sullivan / Alamy Stock PhotoTopics: News