According to the Nanguo Morning Post, a woman was picking herbs near a cemetery in China's Guangxi region when she heard a baby’s cries coming from underground.
Terrified, she called the local police, who swiftly arrived on the scene.
They helped her to dig out a box, buried just a few centimetres below the surface, which contained a breathing baby boy.
The infant, who has a cleft lip, was then rushed to the Tian Dong County People's Hospital for emergency medical treatment.
After throwing up mud, which he had swallowed underground, the baby is now in a stable, but serious, condition.
Five people, including the baby’s grandmothers, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
They are said to have buried the baby boy after his parents, frightened by his cleft lip, abandoned him at the cemetery.
Speaking with the Nanguo Morning Post, the baby’s mother said that she and her husband, both poor farmers, already have a daughter.
They abandoned their son because they “panicked” about the cost of his medical care.
She said: "It's hard to explain. The situation is complicated and people on the outside can't imagine – all in all, our lack of thought and irresponsibility are the cause."
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