Sewage Pipe Baby's Mom: It Was an Accident

The mother of a baby boy saved from a sewage pipe in China says she "deeply regrets" what happened—but she was the one who raised the alarm. The 22-year-old woman, who is unmarried and had concealed her pregnancy, says the newborn slipped through a hole in the squat toilet after she unexpectedly gave birth, CNN reports. She then told the landlord she had heard noises that sounded like a baby coming from the toilet and was on hand during the dramatic rescue.

During the birth, "she tried to grab something to help herself because there is too much blood," a police officer involved in the case says. "She couldn't hold the baby anymore, and he slides into the sewage through the hole of the toilet." Rescuers had to saw off a section of sewage pipe and bring it to hospital, where the newborn was freed. The baby is now healthy enough to be released from hospital but the mother has suffered serious complications from the birth, Sky News reports. Police are still deciding whether to file charges. (More China stories.)