An Indian man who was declared dead woke up on his funeral pyre moments before he was nearly set on fire.

Rohitash Kumar, 25, had been suffering from ill health and on Thursday was taken to a hospital in the western state of Rajasthan, India.

It's reported that Kumar had an epileptic fit, which prompted the hospital visit.

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When he arrived at the hospital, Kumar was pronounced dead after doctors attempted CPR and saw his heart flatline on the electrocardiogram.

Doctors at the Bhagwan Das Khetan (BDK) district hospital unusually sent Kumar straight to the mortuary, instead of carrying out a postmortem to confirm his cause of death.

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In accordance with Hindu rites, from the mortuary Kumar's body was placed on a funeral pyre. However, witnesses noticed Kumar was moving moments before the burning took place, saving his life.

"The situation was nothing short of a miracle. We all were in shock. He was declared dead, but there he was, breathing and alive," a witness at the crematorium told ETV Bharat.

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After Kumar woke up on the pyre, he was rushed back to BDK hospital's ICU. However, his condition did not improve. After an attempt to refer him to the SMS hospital, Kumar sadly died en route.