Shock and outrage gripped the heart of Tema Community 1 on Sunday, January 4, as residents discovered the body of a newborn baby discarded within a major sewage tunnel near the Standard Chartered Bank.
The grim discovery was made during a community-led maintenance exercise.
Residents had complained of a significant blockage in the local sewage system, which had begun to cause liquid waste to overflow into the streets.
Seeking to address the sanitation hazard, a group of local volunteers mobilised to manually clear the underground tunnels of solid waste to allow for the free flow of liquid.
However, the routine cleaning turned into a nightmare when the workers pulled a heavy, black polythene bag from the depths of the sewage blockage.
Upon opening the bag, the workers found a newborn baby, appearing to have been dumped shortly after birth.
The site quickly became a scene of mourning as a large crowd of onlookers and passersby gathered, many raining curses and criticisms on the unknown perpetrator.
Daniel, an eyewitness, described the sight as one of the most harrowing experiences of his life. He noted that the infant was disposed of with no regard for human dignity.
“The placenta and the baby were wrapped together in a black polythene bag, which was very distressing,” Daniel recounted.
