Puri: An 86-year-old woman, presumed dead by her family, was found to be alive moments before her last rites were to be performed at a crematorium in the pilgrim town of Odisha’s Puri.

The woman, P Laxmi, hailing from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, was presumed dead when she was visiting her son-in-law at Polasara in Ganjam district. Following which, she was brought to Swargadwar during afternoon hours on Monday.

According to sources, manager of the crematorium, Brajkishore Sahu, asked for the death certificate mandatory to perform cremation, which the family could not produce since she had died at home. “As they were arranging for a death certificate from their local sarpanch, one of our security guards found the elderly woman breathing,” Sahu said.

They immediately called an ambulance and she was taken to the district headquarters hospital (DHH).

Laxmi’s relative P Dharmendra said she had fractured a leg and had also undergone treatment at a hospital. “This morning when she did not respond, we assumed she had passed away. We did not consult any doctor. We arranged a vehicle to carry the body to Swargadwar for cremation. Now, we will take all steps for her treatment,” he added.

Dr Mahabir Prasad Dash, the attending physician at the DHH, advised shifting her to ICU due to her critical condition. “Her heart and kidneys were functioning, but her brain was not responding properly,” a doctor was quoted as saying.