Odisha: Woman, 86, found alive before her own cremation

India Sep 16, 2025

An 86-year-old woman in Puri, Odisha, was discovered alive right before her cremation on Monday.
P Lakshmi, visiting from Andhra Pradesh, had been declared dead at a local hospital, according to her family, and sent for last rites—until a security guard spotted signs of life at the crematorium.

Family thought she was dead; security guard spotted movement

Lakshmi's family assumed she had passed away and arranged the cremation without getting an official death certificate.
As the rituals were about to start, a quick-thinking security guard noticed movement and stopped everything.
Doctors later confirmed Lakshmi was in critical condition but still alive.
The crematorium manager pointed out that no one can be cremated legally without a death certificate—something the family skipped this time.