Baby Found Covered In Ants In Garbage Dump Dies During Treatment

A premature baby, who was found covered by hundreds of ants after being left in a garbage dump for hours, reportedly died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India on Friday, June 17.

The newborn was reportedly found on Thursday, June 16, inside a dumpster in Bareilly and beset by ants. The infant was allegedly put in a sack and abandoned on a garbage heap by his maternal grandmother just a few hours after he was born. The baby survived almost being eaten alive by hundreds of ants, as well as intense heat, and was immediately rushed to a private hospital for treatment. At the facility, it was found that the baby was also suffering from an infection in the lungs, Times Now reported.

CCTV footage from the area has since gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) subsequently found the newborn's family with the help of the police using the surveillance footage from the premises.

Following the incident, the authorities have registered an FIR (First Information Report) under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 317 (exposure of a child under 12 years of age by parent or person having care of it with intention of wholly abandoning it) against the child's parents and grandmother.

Even though the baby had shown signs of improvement, his pulse dropped on Friday afternoon and he collapsed. Since the baby has died, the newborn's maternal grandmother may be arrested for culpable homicide, the Times Of India reported.

The baby was reportedly born to a couple out of wedlock. However, after the pregnancy came to the light, senior clerics of the Aala Hazrat dargah intervened and got the couple married so they could have the child back as his natural parents.

After their marriage, the couple then went to the hospital to see their son and decided to get him back, even submitting an application to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to get their baby back. However, the baby lost the battle of his life while their application was being processed.