BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A newborn was found in an empty rubbish bin near a house in Kg Lumapas yesterday morning, Borneo Bulletin reported.
The family residing at the house reported the matter to the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) at 8.50am. It was the first such case that the RBPF has received this year.
It is believed that the baby girl had been indiscriminately placed in the rubbish bin in the wee hours.
Fortunately, the newborn is currently in good condition, weighing 2.42kg. She is currently being monitored at the Special Care Baby Unit of RIPAS Hospital in the capital.
No arrests have been made in connection to the case.
It was explained that a 19-year-old living at the house in Kg Lumapas was about to dispose of household rubbish when she heard what she thought sounded like the cries of a cat.
As she was afraid to investigate it on her own, she called out her father who then instructed her 15-year-old brother to take a closer look.
It was during this time that they found the newborn who was not covered with any form of protection against the elements. The lid of the bin had been detached.
The newborn with her umbilical cord still intact was relatively clean when she was found, indicating that her mother had taken the time to clean her up.
According to the family who discovered the newborn, the baby girl was lucky that she was found early, as strays would often frequent the trash bin to scour for food.
The last reported case of an abandoned baby in Brunei was in November 2012.