THIS is the harrowing moment coffin plunged into a ravine and split open after a bridge collapsed leaving mourners scrambling to save the body.
Footage shows a funeral procession passing over the log bridge in the Cajamarca province of Peru, as water speeds underneath.
Carrying a red coffin on their shoulders, the dozen-strong group of men edge forward across the precarious crossing.
Suddenly the bridge buckles under their weight and collapses, plunging the men and the coffin into the water below.
As the coffin slides down the broken planks it gets caught in the tide and splits open, revealing the body.
Screams and shouts ring out as mourners scramble to their feet to secure it, as a man remains crushed beneath the casket in the rushing water.
The dramatic scene came amid intense rain and rising river levels affecting various regions across the country.
Witnesses said the bridge already showed signs of deterioration before the accident made worse by the humidity and rainfall, according to local media.
The temporary structure was not built to sustain the weight of multiple people simultaneously.
Miraculously, none of the men were injured.
And locals managed to recover the coffin before it was swept away by the current.
It comes as the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) issued warnings about the activation of ravines.
This occurs when intense rain triggers mud flows and floods in small basins and rivers.
Cajamarca is under an orange alert – high risk level – indicating danger from potential flash floods.
It comes after dozens of coffins were washed away during a flash flood in Brazil.
Footage showed caskets drifting through waterlogged streets after a funeral home was breached by the raging waters.
Seven lives were lost in the extreme weather in Ubá, Minas Gerais, where the funeral home was located.
The floods left a trail of devastation that forced authorities to declare a state of emergency.
Schools and day centres were closed, as rescue teams scrambled to provide urgent assistance.
A spokesperson from Ubá City Hall shared the heartbreak felt by the community: “Families have lost everything. Homes, stories, memories: lives were shaken in just a few hours.
“Now, more than ever, our city needs the strength of its people.
“Teams from the Fire Department, Municipal Guard, and the Municipal Civil Defence Coordination have been working since the early hours of the morning, surveying the flooding locations, working on emergency solutions, and monitoring the affected areas.”
