CANADA- Authorities in Canada have charged two individuals after the remains of a missing newborn were discovered in a wooded area near Halifax, Nova Scotia, following an intense police search operation.
Halifax Regional Police said the investigation began after a 23-year-old woman was admitted to hospital in critical condition and appeared to have recently given birth. The situation triggered concerns over the whereabouts of the infant, leading officers to launch an urgent search late Friday night.
Search-and-rescue teams, police officers, and volunteers initially focused efforts around Willett Street in Halifax before investigators later shifted attention to the Prospect Road area after receiving additional information.
Police confirmed that human remains believed to be those of the missing infant were eventually discovered in a wooded section off Old Coach Road on Sunday afternoon.
Four individuals connected to the woman were initially taken into custody for questioning. Authorities later released two of them, while 23-year-old Sukhpreet Singh and 26-year-old Ramandeep Kaur were charged with concealing the body of a child, obstruction, and indignity to a dead body.
Investigators said the hospitalized woman remains in critical condition. Police also clarified that her injuries were related to a medical emergency and not believed to have resulted from violence.
In an official statement issued during the search, Halifax police urged residents to stay away from active search locations to allow officers and rescue teams carry out a “thorough search” of the area.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of the infant’s death as investigations continue.
