A man declared dead after being pulled from the earthquake rubble in Syria astonished mourners when he “came back to life” at his funeral.

Ahmed al-Maghribi had been found apparently lifeless and unresponsive under a collapsed building in the town of Atarib, Aleppo Governorate, Syria.

Doctors and paramedics agreed he was dead and put him in a refrigerator for two days while they waited for family members to claim his body.

After being identified – report local media – he was put in a body bag and taken to a cemetery for burial.

But then the bag started moving and when it was opened, it was revealed that Ahmed was still very much alive. Local media said that he had “come back to life” and hailed the event as “a miracle”.

Amazed family and friends rushed him back to hospital where he is said to be recovering and in good condition.

Local media speculated that his case might have been a rare instance of a person’s heart starting again after stopping.

Turkey’s disaster management agency (AFAD) has said that 42,310 people are dead and more than 108,068 injured in the country.

More than 5,800 people have reportedly died in Syria. The total death toll for the two countries currently stands at around 48,124 people.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck early on Monday, 6th February devastating southern Turkey and northern Syria.

A second earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit the same region again at 11:24am local time on 6th February, causing even more damage.