Woman arrested after newborn baby found alive in plane toilet bin

A woman from Madagascar has been arrested and is expected to be charged with abandoning the child

Newborn baby found alive in plane’s toilet bin in Mauritius (AFP/Getty)

A newborn baby has been found in the rubbish bin of a plane toilet, the Mauritius airports authority have said.

Airport officials found the abandoned baby boy while conducting a routine check on an Air Mauritius plane that had landed a short while earlier at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport outside the capital Port Louis.

The incident took place on New Year’s Day and involved a flight from Madagascar, BBC News reported.

A 20-year-old woman from Madagascar suspected of having given birth to the baby was arrested.

Officials said that while the woman had denied being the child’s mother, she was later made to undergo a medical examination, which confirmed she had just given birth.

They added that the woman had arrived on a two-year work permit.

Both the woman and the child were taken to a nearby public hospital where authorities said they are doing well.

The Malagasy woman will be questioned after she is released from the hospital and is expected to be charged with abandoning a newborn.

In October 2020, a newborn baby was found in a plastic bag in a rubbish bin at Hamad International Airport’s departures lounge, sparking searches of women from 10 different flights that were departing the terminal around that time.

The incident led to international outrage after women from several flights were forced to undergo “invasive” medical examinations in a bid to find the child’s mother. Qatar later apologised and said officials involved would face prosecution.

Last November seven Australian women, who were among those forced to undergo such checks, announced that they are suing the Qatar authorities, reported CNN.