Newborn baby rescued from sewage pipe in China

After a dramatic two-hour rescue operation below a public restroom in China, a newborn baby boy was rescued from a sewage pipe on Saturday, according to reports.

Associated Press reported the story of the trapped newborn, which originated from state-run Chinese media before it made international headlines. The rescue tale started in a residential building in China's Zhejiang province, where a tenant heard a child crying, according to the news wire.

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State media captured the rescue that followed in a video showing firefighters pulling away the sewage pipe to free the baby boy, who was trapped in a bend below a toilet.

They rushed the baby to the hospital while he was still stuck within the 3-inch space, according to Reuters, and piece by piece, rescuers cut the pipe away. The child is recovering in hospital with only minor injuries, according to reports.

Police said they were investigating the case as a homicide and they had found the baby's mother, according to the Associated Press.

The story has kindled a fire of outrage among users of China's social media websites, according to the Guardian.

"The parents who did this have hearts even filthier than that sewage pipe," the newspaper quoted from one online user.

The anger has also spilled over to Twitter.

The Associated Press reported the boy has been named Baby No. 59, based on his incubator number.

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He might not be a number for long: the baby has received a warm welcome from strangers bringing supplies to the hospital and offering to adopt him, according to the news wire.