Graphic video warning
Disturbing videos and photos of the baby smothered in mud, went viral on social media, and can be seen in the story below. They are being used as they are a key part of the story.
A newborn baby, buried alive in the ground, was miraculously rescued by villagers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, last week. A video clip of the rescue went viral on social media this weekend.
Reportedly, on May 25, a group of builders heard muffled cries as they were working to complete a house under construction, in the Sonoura village, in Siddharthnagar, UP. Trying to locate the source of the cries, they spotted a tiny dusty leg poking above the ground, in a heap of mud.
Immediately, the villagers began a frantic race against time to dig the baby free from the soil.
The disturbing video footage shows a person, desperately trying to dig around the baby’s body without causing any harm, before pulling the child up. Its tiny body was smothered in dust.
GRAPHIC VIDEO WARNING
For a few tense minutes, the baby, who seems barely a few days old, lay motionless on the ground. One of his rescuers checked to see if he was still breathing. A few minutes later, the baby boy began to wiggle his arms and legs.
The villagers quickly rushed the boy to a nearby hospital where doctors performed tests, revealing he had swallowed mud that was blocking his airway.
Many Twitter users expressed anger at the parents who dumped their baby.
Tweep @Vanessafield16 posted: “What vile person would bury alive a newborn baby? How sick is that? Thank God the newborn was saved by villagers.”
And, @Johnson2Lynn posted: “Think this will haunt me, poor defenseless baby. What is the world coming too! Starting to wonder if there’s any good in the world.”
However, some people said it might be poverty and starvation from the impact of coronavirus that pushed the parents to do this.
Facebook user Nisha Singh posted: “I wonder if the mother was struggling to feed the baby due to poverty and lockdown. Can’t blame the parents till we know the reason. We haven’t done right by the poor, during these times.”
Medical staff treating the baby say he is in a stable condition but remains in hospital under supervision. It is not known why the baby was buried or how long he had been dumped there for.
According to reports, a local village woman has come forward to adopt the child.
And, a police case has been filed against an “unidentified person” in the district, and investigation is underway.