Bloemfontein - A church minister, a funeral undertaker and several pall bearers fell into a grave while carrying a coffin for burial on a farm outside Bethlehem in the Free State, Beeld reported on Tuesday.
Funeral undertaker Deon Stander confirmed to the Afrikaans daily that he had hurt his arm and kneecap when he fell into the grave, but he did not want to elaborate.
One of the mourners, who was not named, said a plank placed over the grave collapsed. Stander fell into the grave with the coffin on top of him, while the church minister and “four or five” pall bearers fell onto the coffin.
Other mourners helped them to get out.
They were burying Tiaan Prinsloo, 25, who died in December, apparently from a blood clot through the heart.
Sapa