A man from Bacău County, eastern Romania, was officially declared dead due to a bureaucratic error, despite being alive and well, local authorities confirmed.
The case came to light after Eugen Popa posted on social media that a document issued by the county’s General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) listed him as deceased. His post, written in an ironic tone, quickly went viral and sparked public reaction.
DGASPC later acknowledged the mistake, saying the error was caused by incorrect wording in an administrative notice. The institution clarified that Popa had undergone a reassessment and no longer qualified as a person with a disability under Romanian law, which led to the termination of certain benefits. The term “death” was mistakenly used instead of the correct administrative classification.
Authorities stressed that the document had no legal effect on Popa’s civil status and apologized for the incident. An internal investigation has been launched to determine how the error occurred and to prevent similar cases in the future.
No legal consequences resulted from the mistake, officials said.
