A woman thought to have died from coronavirus has been found alive after a hospital mix-up.
The mistake was discovered weeks after the family of Alba Maruri, from Guayaquil in Ecuador, thought they had cremated her.
The 74-year-old had been admitted to an intensive care unit on March 27 after becoming struck down with suspected Covid-19.
She had been suffering a high fever and difficulty breathing, and in a case of mistaken identity, medics at the Abel Gilbert Ponton Hospital told her family she died later that day.
A week later, health authorities gave Ms Maruri's family what they thought were her remains.
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But on Friday, the family were shocked when health workers came to their home to tell them she was in fact alive and making a recovery.
Speaking to Reuters, Ms Maruri's sister Aura said: "An ambulance arrived with a doctor, a psychiatrist and the social worker.
"They apologized, and they tell us 'Your sister is alive,' and we were in shock.
"It is a miracle of God what has happened.
"There was a failure by the hospital."
The family are now left with the ashes of the person whose body they were delivered by mistake, which are contained in a metal chest.
Aura added that she does not know what to do with the remains.
Her sister, who is suspected of having Covid-19 but has not been tested, is still being treated in hospital but is no longer in intensive care.
Sanitary workers in Ecuador have been struggling to collect and identify the growing number of bodies as Covid-19 has overwhelmed the health system.
Guayaquil is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Ecuador, which has recorded nearly 23,000 cases and 576 confirmed deaths.
A further 1,060 people who are suspected to have died from the deadly bug.
The country's Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos told reporters that case was under investigation.
