Newborn baby survives being thrown from fifth floor balcony by his teenage mother after landing on banana leaves
A newborn baby boy has survived being thrown from a fifth floor balcony by his teenage mother – after banana leaves cushioned his fall.
The baby was heard crying by residents at the apartment block in Samut Prakan, central Thailand, on Monday at 10.30am.
They clambered over a 7ft high fence and discovered the little boy, who was only a few hours old with his placenta and umbilical cord still attached, in a patch of land used as a banana orchard behind the flats.
He was surrounded by thick broken leaves, which cushioned his fall from the room high above.
Incredibly, the baby had survived virtually unscathed having suffered only minor scratches and bites from mosquitoes.
Officers are now hunting the teenager who was staying in the room. She had earlier been seen walking around while heavily pregnant.
Neighbour Hang Konhaan, 55, said: ‘I first heard the cries at 10.30am but didn’t pay much attention to them. Then I spoke to another neighbour and we went to check.
‘We found the little baby on the floor and he was crying. There were some broken leaves next to him, which saved his life.’
Hang said that she had seen a young girl who had been pregnant but did not know who she was.
Police interviewed the apartment block owner. They are now searching for the mother, who could face charges of attempted murder.
Lieutenant Colonel Amnat Charoen, from the Samrong Nua district police station, said: ‘Officers received notification at 11am of the baby found in the banana orchard next to an apartment block.
‘Underneath the banana tree area was a baby and their placenta. There were many mosquitos and ants on his body. He had a rash and some redness. There were signs that that baby had fallen from a height.
‘Police have investigated and we are sure that the baby came from a teenager who had the secret birth in a room on floor number five.
‘The baby is being cared for in hospital, but she is safe and recovering well. She is healthy.
‘We are investigating all the accounts from neighbours and searching for the mother who will be prosecuted for the incident.’
