Brazilian man turns up to own funeral alive

A Brazilian man has turned up at his own funeral very much alive.

Gilberto Araujo was pronounced dead after his brother Jose Marcos Araujo identified his body at the morgue in Alagoinhas, north-east Brazil, after he was told his car washer brother had been shot dead in the area.

But Gilberto, 41, stunned his family when he turned up at the wake to let them know he was still alive which resulted in some well-wishers fainting and running away.

Jose's wife Ana Paula told the UOL Internet news portal: "Police called my husband and told him that his brother had been killed and his body was at the morgue."

But Police inspector Roberto Lima insists the confusion was "understandable" because Gilberto and the dead man looked similar and were both car washers.

The official added that a few hours prior to Gilberto's so-called burial, "a friend of Gilberto's saw him walking down the street and told him that his family was mourning him.

"So he went to his mother's home to let everyone know he was very much alive."