South Africa crash victim was alive in mortuary refrigerator for two days before his death

Msizi Mkhize was rushed to Durban's Mahatma Gandh hospital after staff realised he was still alive. Photo / 123rf

A man hit by a car in South Africa last week was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and his body then placed in a refrigerator at a local mortuary.

However, when the victim's family arrived at the mortuary to identify his body, staff quickly realised he had a pulse.

The victim, 28-year-old Msizi Mkhize, had been walking with a friend in the township of KwaMashu, close to Durban, when the crash took place.

After he was found in the refrigerator he was rushed to Durban's Mahatma Gandhi hospital for emergency treatment, but died there a few hours later.

Dr Sifiso Mtshali, head of the region's health department, told reporters an inquiry had been launched, adding: "Without prejudice, the department would like to state that the passing away of any individual is a painful experience. To this end, the department would like to express condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."

Msizi's father, Peter Mkhize, told the Daily News his family had been traumatised: "I have no words to express how I feel about what happened to my child. To spend the entire night and morning in the mortuary refrigerator is wrong.

"We arrived there at 8am to do the paperwork and view the body of my child. It was after 12pm when an employee told one of the doctors my son was alive.

"That day will forever be etched in my mind. Allow us as a family to bury our son and thereafter we can sit down and talk about our experience in detail."

Msizi's sister Hlobisile added: "We want to know who declared him dead. Is that person experienced enough to handle and make decisions in such situations?

"This is painful and stressful for the family to establish that our brother and son had spent the night in the morgue.

"Somewhere, somehow someone did not do their job. We want a full explanation from all concerned."

This article was originally publish by The Telegraph.