Odisha man presumed dead wakes up minutes before cremation

Simanchal Malik of Laukhala village under Sorada police station area of coastal Ganjam district was taken to the cremation ground of his village on Sunday after his family members found him lying unconscious in a forest.

A 52-year-old man of Odisha presumed dead by a bolt of lightning woke up from his funeral pier on Sunday, minutes before he was to be set on fire much to the surprise of his family.

Simanchal was then taken to the cremation ground but as soon as his relatives undressed him to keep him on the pier, he woke up. (HT PHOTO.)

Simanchal Malik of Laukhala village under Sorada police station area of coastal Ganjam district was taken to the cremation ground of his village on Sunday after his family members found him lying unconscious in a forest. Malik, who had gone to the forest to graze his goats on Saturday, was presumed dead after being struck by a bolt of lightning.

Instead of taking him to the hospital, villagers and his kin examined his condition and presumed him to be dead. Simanchal was then taken to the cremation ground but as soon as his relatives undressed him to keep him on the pier, he woke up frightening the pallbearers, who ran away scared.

Later, his family members took him to the Sorada Community Health Centre where he was discharged after primary treatment.

“I had fever for the last 4 days. On Saturday morning, I had gone to graze my goats in the forest when my body temperature spiked. I passed out immediately. I regained sense when my clothes were being pulled off,” he said.