During an exhumation ceremony, a father was found dead in a river. His relatives kept watch over his body throughout the night until the authorities arrived.
Joy turned to sorrow for a family who had traveled to the commune of Ihazolava, near Ambohimandroso, last week to perform an exhumation. A 55-year-old father, who was participating in the ‘famadihana’ (turning of the dead) ceremony, lost his life. His lifeless body was discovered in the water on Sunday afternoon. The family was unable to recover the body immediately, as they had to wait for the arrival of the competent authorities, forcing them to remain at the scene.
The father’s body was watched over all night by the riverbank. Many family members gathered, braving the cold and darkness by the water. It was not until the following day, Monday, that the gendarmerie and a doctor arrived. The body was then returned to the village after the customary investigations.
The family had traveled from the capital to Ihazolava, in the Andakana fokontany, neighboring Ambohimandroso, to perform the ritual of turning the dead and changing the shrouds of their deceased relatives. A large number of people had gathered, and preparations were in full swing.
The ceremony took place over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the family became alarmed by the sudden disappearance of one of the men present. Everyone began to wonder, and a search was launched.
“Our brother had left the village to recharge his phone credit. We last saw him around 6 a.m. on Wednesday. He never returned. We were changing our mother’s shroud, and my brother did not attend the ceremony. We don’t know where he went,” said Rahaingovola Victoire during a phone call yesterday.
The family waited for his return in vain. A missing person notice was issued, but no information could be verified. Four days later, a body was found in the river that must be crossed to get from the village to the Ambohimandroso market.
“Children who came to wash tobacco discovered the body in the water on Sunday around 2 p.m. We recognized him by the warm clothes he was wearing. He was not found near the bridge, but further downstream. We waited for the authorities to conduct the investigation. We stayed by the river all night. It was a truly difficult ordeal,” added Rahaingovola Victoire.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-11 05:54:23 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/ihazolava-ambohimandroso-une-ceremonie.html