Fear grips South African village after dead pregnant woman gives birth in coffin

A South African village in the Eastern Cape was gripped by fear after a deceased pregnant woman gave birth to her lifeless baby in a coffin, ten days after her death.

The 33-year-old deceased mother of five went through a rare occurrence termed “Coffin Birth” or postmortem fetal extrusion which is the expulsion of a fetus through the vagina of the decomposing body of a dead pregnant woman. This is caused by the increasing pressure of intra-abdominal gases.

The Mthayisi village was unaware of the phenomenon and was traumatized at the discovery on the eve of the burial, reports local news portal Sowetan Live.

Fundile Makalana, the owner of the funeral home where the discovery was made said: “I have been in the business for more than 20 years and I have never heard of a dead woman giving birth.”

The mother, who had died after shortness of breath, was buried with her baby over the weekend.