World Scene: New Zealand

Mom leaves newborn in plane

A woman who gave birth in mid-air left the baby behind when she disembarked in Auckland, Television New Zealand reported yesterday.

Police and Pacific Blue - the airline which operated the flight from the Samoan capital Apia - were saying little about their investigation yesterday, but mother and child were said to be recovering in hospital. Television New Zealand reported that the Samoan woman gave birth in one of the aircraft's toilets during the flight to Auckland early yesterday. The infant was found by an airline worker in the toilet rubbish bin more than an hour after the plane landed.