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SINGAPORE: An abandoned baby boy was found alive in a bin chute at an HDB block in Bedok North on Tuesday (Jan 7).



The police told CNA it received a call for assistance at about 9.10am at Block 534 Bedok North Street 3.



“A baby boy was found at the said location. Paramedics attended to the baby at scene,” the police said.

There were no visible injuries on the baby, who is in a stable condition, said the police.

The baby was discovered by a town council cleaner in the chute on Tuesday morning, according to a Facebook post by Member of Parliament (MP) Pritam Singh.



The MP said he was made aware of the incident from messages to an Aljunied-Hougang Town Council MPs chat group.



"A million thoughts crossed my head when I saw the pictures and you can imagine the thoughts expressed through words and emoticons by the other MPs, feelings I am sure many (Singaporeans would) share," he said.



"Had the worker not found the blessed child, he/she could have been crushed by the compactor where all rubbish is centrally disposed in the precinct."



Authorities are seen at a neighbourhood in Bedok North. (Photo: Cindy Co)

Chinese news channel 8World reported that the baby was found inside a rubbish chute bin at the bottom of the block by two cleaners about 9am.

The cleaners were clearing the garbage when they saw the baby wrapped in a bloodstained supermarket plastic bag, 8World reported 24-year-old cleaner Patwarishamim as saying. The baby was crying when the cleaners found him.

Authorities are seen at a neighbourhood in Bedok North. (Photo: Cindy Co)

The baby has been taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).

KKH said in response to queries from CNA that it is "unable to confirm, deny or share any information" due to patient confidentiality.

Several police vehicles and officers were at the location when CNA arrived at about 1pm.

Residents told CNA that police officers conducted door-to-door interviews and asked them if they had "heard anything".

“The police asked if I had heard anything, if I heard anyone who threw something. Police also asked if I knew anyone living here who was pregnant," said 74-year-old Sin Ah Moi, who lives on the second floor of the block.

Ms Fatmah Salim, 62, who lives on the third floor of the block, said the police came to her flat at about 11am.

"They asked if I had heard anything, but I said I didn’t hear anything,” said Ms Fatmah.

She said that the police entered her home to "look around" before leaving.

A resident on the fifth floor told 8World that she had heard something being thrown down the rubbish chute at about 5am.

She thought she had heard a baby crying but dismissed it as she didn't know anyone who was pregnant and living in the block.

Cases of baby abandonment in Singapore are rare, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development, in response to CNA's queries.

"There were two abandoned babies in 2016, none in 2017 and 2018, and one in 2019," the ministry added.

