A newborn girl, who was buried alive up to her neck, was rescued by locals at Sanajharan of Bonai in Sundargarh district on Saturday.
Though police were yet to identify the baby’s parents, it was suspected that the parents might have buried the newborn because she was a girl.
Sources said some Sanajharan villagers had gone to the nearby forest to collect firewood when they heard the cries of an infant. However, they could not identify the exact location of the baby and had to return home following thunderstorm and rain.
They went to the spot in the morning and informed the local ASHA worker after noticing the girl, whose face was only visible. later, they informed the local police and rescued the baby in a critical condition. The newborn was rushed to the local hospital. However, she was shifted to a Rourkela hospital as her condition was critical.
In another incident, a baby boy was found dead at Brahmapura village in Banki tehsil of Cuttack district on Saturday morning. The body of the infant was found in a bush at Patara Sahi by locals, who informed the local police. Cops initiated an investigation into the incident.