Woman ‘Wakes Up’ at Her Burial Ceremony After Being Declared Dead at Hospital in Ntcheu

A funeral ceremony in Ntcheu took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when a 21-year-old woman, earlier declared dead at Ntcheu District Hospital, was discovered alive moments before burial.

The incident occurred at Chibalala Village under Senior Chief Njolomole, where mourners had gathered to bury Ellen Kanyaza, who had reportedly ‘died’ the previous day after spending three days in hospital being treated for severe migraines.

Nyakwawa Ndaipa Chipwaira, speaking on behalf of the Chibalala clan, told Nation Online that the family was convinced Kanyaza had died, and all funeral preparations had been completed.

“I was among those who went to collect the body from the hospital after the family was informed of her death. The coffin was prepared, the grave was ready, and the church was already on site for the ceremony,” Chipwaira said.

However, as pallbearers prepared to remove the coffin from the house, they reportedly heard unusual movements inside.

“You could hear shifting sounds inside the coffin. When it continued, we decided to open it. To our shock, she was alive,” Chipwaira narrated.

Mourners quickly removed her from the coffin and placed her on a mat outside as stunned villagers watched. According to Chipwaira, Kanyaza later regained full consciousness and even ate porridge.

Her brother, Symon Manjerenjeza, confirmed that Kanyaza had spent two days in the hospital’s bereavement room before the family retrieved what they believed was her body.

The family has since taken her to prayer sessions as they seek to understand what happened.

When contacted, Ntcheu District Hospital spokesperson Stella Kawalala requested more time before providing an official comment on how the apparent misdiagnosis occurred.

Meanwhile, village leaders have agreed to bury a symbolic banana stump in the already-dug grave as part of traditional practices to “avert bad luck.”

Source: Nation Online