Puri: In a bizzare incident akin to a zombie movie plot, an elderly woman, presumed dead, showed signs of life barely minutes before her cremation in Swargadwar in Odisha's Puri district. 

The woman, identified as P Laxmi (86) from Polasara in Ganjam district, was found alive just before her body was to be consigned to the flames. The incident not just shook family members but also scared the daylights out of onlookers when she resumed consciousness at the funeral pyre.

Hailing from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Laxmi was visiting her son in-law at Polasara. Family members said Laxmi's health was deteriorating given her age. She was under treatment at a local hospital where doctors declared her dead. "When she did not open her eyes and there was no sign of breathing, we thought she had passed away. After informing people in the neighbourhood, we arranged for a hearse to carry the body to Puri Swargadwar for cremation," they said.

When the family arrived at the crematorium, the Swargadwar staff requested a medical report to proceed with the final rites. However, as they did not have the mandatory death certificate, the family was asked to procure it before the rites. They were busy with the formalities when, to everyone's utter shock and disbelief, one of the crematorium staff noticed movement in Laxmi's body. "As the family did not have the required document, we were talking to them about getting it from the local authorities. Just then, one of our security gurads noticed that the woman was breathing," the crematorium manager said.

On finding Laxmi alive, an ambulance was called and she was immediately shifted to Puri hospital. Health authorities said her condition is critical. Her heart and kidneys are functioning but brain is not responding properly, said one of the doctors.

The dramatic turn of events not just left the locals in shock but also highlighted the need for proper medical verification of deaths in rural healthcare facilities.