A newborn girl just 20 days old has been found alive after being buried in mud in Shahjahanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The infant was discovered by a goat herder tending his flock, who heard faint cries and noticed a tiny hand emerging from the ground. Villagers quickly alerted police, and the baby was rushed to hospital for emergency care.
According to Dr Rajesh Kumar, head of Shahjahanpur Government Medical College and Hospital, the baby arrived in a critical condition, covered in mud and struggling to breathe due to mud entering her mouth and nose. “She also had insect bite marks and signs of oxygen deprivation,” he told the BBC.
Although her condition briefly improved within the first 24 hours, it deteriorated again because of infection. Fresh injuries on her body suggested she had been buried shortly before being found, Dr Kumar added. The medical team, including surgeons, is working to control the infection, but her condition remains critical.
Police are investigating the case and have yet to identify the baby’s parents. Uttar Pradesh’s child protection unit has been brought in to assist with the investigation.
