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The family has blamed the cemetery and funeral home for negligence.
The incident happened at Greenmount Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo Credits: X)
A funeral in the US took a terrifying turn when the coffin being carried collapsed into the grave along with the pallbearers. The incident happened at Greenmount Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The funeral was held to lay Benjamin Aviles to rest, The Mirror reported.
Aviles died on March 21 due to complications from heart issues. He was from Lares, Puerto Rico, and had been living in North Philadelphia. On the day of the burial, his family and friends came together for the final rites but the ceremony took an unexpected turn after the platform meant to hold the coffin suddenly broke. The dramatic fall was caught on camera and left many shocked.
The video showed pallbearers lifting the casket and slowly walking toward the grave. As soon as the coffin reached the platform, the wooden structure collapsed. Everyone holding the casket fell straight into the grave.
NEW: Deceased man’s son gets trapped under his father’s casket after a platform collapsed, taking the entire family into the grave.That’s unfortunate.
The incident happened at a funeral in Philadelphia for Benjamin Aviles who passed away in late March.
When the pallbearers… pic.twitter.com/0Zha1mnKnN
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 8, 2025
Several people suffered injuries to their legs, hands and backs. Aviles’s son, who shares his name, was the most seriously injured. The casket landed directly on him which left him unconscious for a few moments.
“The casket lay on top of him, and he was out like a light with his face in the mud,” said Maribelle Rodriguez, Aviles’s stepdaughter, while speaking to ABC6. She said the platform already looked unsafe before the funeral began.
“The whole thing was trembling. It was wobbly, the wood was all wet and soaked,” she said. The family has blamed the cemetery and funeral home for negligence. They believe the poor condition of the platform caused the accident and are demanding an apology and compensation.
“I think they should apologise. There should be some reimbursement, seeing that the ceremony was interrupted. Nothing was done properly,” Rodriguez added.
The video of the shocking moment made its way on X (formerly Twitter) where social media users reacted with concern and sadness.
One person commented, “A lot of people will be having a new phobia now.”
Another wrote, “This is really sad and unfortunate for the family.”
A person called it “traumatically dangerous,” while someone blamed the funeral organisers, writing, “Very sad for the family. The Funeral Director or Cemetery was very negligent. Shouldn’t have happened.”
As per the report, none of the injuries were life-threatening and all the pallbearers are expected to recover fully.
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