This is the moment a devastated family celebrates alongside the dead body of a lad who would have turned 16 on that day but who died instead of a heart attack.

The poignant footage shows family members lighting a candle on a birthday cake next to the teen’s laid-out body before singing “Happy Birthday” and applauding him.

Media in Telangana State, India, report that the lad’s family was preparing a celebration for his 16th birthday when he suddenly fell ill a day before the big day.

The victim – identified only as Sachin – had been shopping in Asifabad when he felt pain in his chest, according to reports.

After the pain worsened, he told his parents – identified as Babapur residents Gunvantha Rao and Lalitha – who rushed him to a nearby hospital on 18th May.

After initial treatment, the schoolboy was transferred to a larger facility in Mancherial, where he died from a heart attack on his birthday, according to reports.

In defiance of Sachin’s untimely passing, his devastated family decided to celebrate his birthday on 19th May before his death rituals were performed.

Local media reported that the whole village later turned out to his funeral.

It is not clear if Sachin had an underlying condition that may have caused the fatal heart attack.