Pic shows: Relatives of who the man who was believed to be dead was saved from being burnt alive when he was woken up by the wailing of his relatives as he lay on a funeral pyre. An OAP who was believed to be dead was saved from being burnt alive when he was woken up by the wailing of his relatives as he lay on a funeral pyre. Deepak Singh, 72, collapsed at his home in the city of Bhilwada in India’s north-western state of Rajasthan in front of his horrified relatives as he went to feed his cows. Grandson Banda Nalwa, 26, said: "He seemed fine when he woke up in the morning and said he was off to do his chores. "But as he started walking over to where the cows are he suddenly fell to the ground. "I rushed over and couldn’t see any signs of life. "I couldn’t feel a pulse and his heart seemed to have stopped. "I called the rest of the family and they agreed. "We thought he was dead." A local doctor called to the house then confirmed their fears and the family began preparing the pyre in line with the Hindu tradition which dates back thousands of years. After laying him out on the pieces of wood and cloth, Singh’s relatives gathered round and began their death wail, the customary practice of saying farewell to a loved one. Grandson Nalwa said: "As the volume of the wailing increased I suddenly saw my grandfather’s body move. "At first I thought it was my imagination, but then he opened his eyes and sat up." Realising the mistake, Nalwa and his uncle Gulshan, 56, quickly helped the pensioner off the pyre. Nalwa said: "Thank God we didn’t set the pyre alight as it seems he had just fainted. "We were very lucky." Stunned Singh said: "I know I can be a bit of a pain at times, but I hope they wait till I am actually dead before trying to set me on fire again." (ends)