Police have detained a 54-year-old woman to assist investigations following the death of an 11-month-old baby girl believed to have died due to alleged negligence at a house in Jalan Sri Permata Ladang, Seremban.
Seremban district police chief Mohd Yatim Osman said authorities received a report regarding the incident at around 7.22pm yesterday.
Initial investigations found that the baby had been under the care of her grandmother from around 9am while the child’s parents were at work.
According to police, the infant was believed to have been left sleeping in a cradle at about 2.30pm while the grandmother was cooking and hanging clothes outside the house.
A short while later, the woman reportedly realised the baby was no longer inside the cradle before discovering the child face down inside a bucket containing a small amount of soapy water in the backyard.
Police said the baby was found with her head submerged inside the bucket.
The victim was rushed to a nearby clinic before being referred for further treatment, but was later pronounced dead by hospital medical officers at around 4.30pm.
Authorities confirmed that a post-mortem examination was conducted today, although the exact cause of death is still pending laboratory results.
The grandmother has since been detained to assist investigations, with the case currently being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
The tragic incident has sparked widespread shock online, with many urging parents and guardians to remain extra vigilant when caring for young children at home.
