Ecuador woman learns sister is alive after cremating wrong body

An Ecuadorean woman in coronavirus-ravaged Guayaquil city learned on Friday that her sister was alive, weeks after cremating a misidentified body health authorities had released to her after declaring her sibling dead, Al Jazeera reports.

Alba Maruri, 74, was admitted to an intensive care unit on March 27 suffering from a high fever and difficulty breathing, and medical personnel told her family later that day that she had died, Maruri's sister Aura said by telephone.

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A week later, health authorities released what they thought were Maruri's remains to her relatives, who had the body cremated.

On Friday, health workers came to the family's home to speak to them.

"An ambulance arrived with a doctor, a psychiatrist and the social worker. They apologised, and they tell us 'Your sister is alive,' and we were in shock," said Aura Maruri. "It is a miracle of God what has happened."