Ismail Azizi claims he has been declared dead six times. And six times, he came back.

The 41-year-old Tanzanian man's story first went viral through a documentary that left viewers stunned. According to Azizi, his first brush with death came from a workplace accident. Doctors pronounced him dead and his body was placed in a morgue. He woke up after feeling the extreme cold and walked out, stunning everyone.

After that came malaria, a car crash, a venomous snakebite, a fall into a pit, and a house fire. Each time, according to Azizi, he was declared dead. Each time, he came back.

The snakebite incident is the most striking. After being bitten while working on a farm, the venom spread through his body and he was pronounced dead. He was taken to the morgue for the second time. He spent three days there. When relatives came to collect his body for burial, he was alive.

Doctors have pointed to a few possible explanations. Lazarus syndrome is a rare medical phenomenon where a heartbeat spontaneously returns. Certain conditions like cerebral malaria can mimic death. And in areas with limited medical equipment, a very weak pulse or extremely shallow breathing can be missed entirely.

But instead of being celebrated as a survivor, Azizi became feared. Villagers whispered about curses and witchcraft. After his fifth return, some of them set his house on fire, claiming he was a danger to the community.

Today, Azizi lives alone in a run-down house, supporting himself through small-scale farming. The man who kept coming back from the dead was ultimately rejected by the living 👀

#Tanzania