A woman in New Zealand has been arrested after a 2-year-old girl was found alive inside a suitcase in the luggage compartment of a long-distance bus.
The discovery was made during a routine stop in Kaiwaka, a small town north of Auckland, when a passenger requested access to the luggage area. At that point, the bus driver noticed movement coming from one of the suitcases.
Upon opening it, the driver found the child inside—overheated but physically unharmed, according to Detective Inspector Simon Harrison.
The child was immediately taken to a hospital and remained under medical care as of Sunday night, August 3.
Police have not revealed how long the girl had been in the compartment or the bus route she was traveling. The woman, whose identity has not been made public, has been charged with child neglect and is due in court on Monday.
The bus operator, InterCity, confirmed one of its vehicles was involved in the incident. According to company policy, children under 3 travel free if seated on an adult’s lap.
