Mourners spot baby girl's hand moving inside coffin at her funeral - and then dash to hospital

A baby girl was rushed to hospital from her own funeral after horrified mourners noticed she was moving her hand in the coffin.

Eight-month-old Kiara Crislayne de Moura dos Santos was declared dead by medics in the early hours of October 19. Just two hours later, funeral director Aureo Arruda Ramos collected her body from the Faustino Riscarolli Hospital Foundation in Correia Pinto, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.

Then, with Kiara's parents, he began making preparations for the little girl's funeral later that day, according to local media. After her parents brought a set of clothes for the baby to wear in her coffin, the service began at 7pm, just 16 hours after Kiara had been declared dead.

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But horrified mourners stopped the service when they noticed the baby's hand was moving. And according to reports, when one of them touched her fingers, the baby gripped them tightly. A nearby pharmacist found she was still breathing and called the emergency services.

When paramedics checked Kiara, they found she still had a pulse and an oxygen saturation level of 84 per cent, which leaves patients in need of instant critical care. They also found no trace of rigor mortis, which usually stiffens a body between six and eight hours after death.

But tragically, by the time Kiara was taken back to hospital, her heart had stopped and she was declared dead again, according to local media. Her heartbroken dad Cristiano Santos said: "We were devastated already. Then there came a little bit of hope, but then this ended up happening."

The hospital, now facing an investigation by Brazil's specialist Scientific Police, admitted that they had declared the child dead 16 hours earlier and then confirmed the death again later when the child was once again brought back. Correia Pinto City Hall later apologised to Kiara's family and promised a full investigation with a report in 30 days.

A spokesperson said: "The Municipality of Correia Pinto reiterates its commitment to provide the best care for all citizens, and reinforces that, under no circumstances, can any professional issue certificates or statements without proper authentication of the patient's condition. In addition, all health professionals are constantly oriented and trained, ensuring that people's lives and well-being are always the priority."

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