An eight-month-old girl was rushed to hospital following her own funeral after horrified mourners noticed she was moving her arm in her coffin, adding to the misery of her grief-stricken parents.

Kiara Chrislane de Moura dos Santos was admitted to the Faustino Riscaroli Hospital in Correia Pinto, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, in the early hours of October 19.

Doctors ultimately determined that the girl was not breathing or had a heartbeat, and she was pronounced dead shortly after being admitted to the hospital.

Just two hours after Kiara was declared dead, funeral director Aureo Arruda Ramos removed her body from the morgue and, along with Kiara’s parents, began the grim task of preparing for Kiara’s funeral later that day.

The funeral began that day at 19:00, but the service was suddenly stopped when one of those present noticed that the child’s hand was moving in the open coffin.

As one mourner rushed to the coffin and touched the baby’s hand, her fingers reportedly tightened, prompting him to frantically rush for life-saving help for the baby in the hope she could be saved.

Kiara Chrislane de Moura dos Santos was admitted to the Faustino Riscaroli Hospital in Correia Pinto, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, in the early hours of October 19th.

Her funeral ended abruptly when one of those present noticed that the child’s hand was moving in the open coffin.

Firefighters arrived on scene and found that the girl still had a pulse.

They also found no evidence of rigor mortis, which usually results in the body becoming rigid between six and eight hours after death.

Her oxygen saturation level was 84 percent, well below the 90 percent threshold considered a serious health problem, and paramedics rushed her back to hospital.

But by the time Ciara was returned to care, her heart had stopped again and she was pronounced dead for the second time in less than 24 hours.

Her heartbroken father Cristiano Santos told Brazilian media: “We were already devastated. Then there was a little hope, but in the end this happened.”

The picture shows a tearful father, Cristiano Santos, speaking to Brazilian media.

Doctors are seen at the funeral of a child who was found alive at his own funeral.

The hospital, which is now being investigated by Brazil’s specialized scientific police, admitted that they said the child had died 16 hours before she was found to have a pulse at the funeral.

The same hospital later confirmed the death again when the child was brought back again.

The mayor’s office of Correia-Pinto later apologized to Quiara’s family and promised to conduct a full investigation with a report in 30 days.

The spokesperson said: “The Municipality of Correia Pinto reaffirms its commitment to providing the best possible care to all citizens and emphasizes that under no circumstances should any professional issue certificates or statements without proper confirmation of the patient’s condition.

“In addition, all healthcare workers undergo ongoing training and education, ensuring that people’s lives and well-being are always a priority.”

It is currently unclear whether Ciara’s parents intend to sue the hospital.