MANAMA: A newborn baby was yesterday found abandoned in a mosque car park in East Riffa. A passer-by came across the boy wrapped in a pink blanket at around 3pm.

National Radiator Industries job supervisor Masood Ahmed was parking his car at the Abdulla bin Darwish Fakhro Mosque, near Lulu Hypermarket, when he spotted the one-day-old baby and called police.

An ambulance took the baby to Salmaniya Medical Complex's accident and emergency unit before being transferred to a general ward.

The Indian and his colleague Raju Varghese had been sent to the mosque to carry out maintenance work on its air-conditioners.

"I was surprised to see a baby and I immediately called my manager.

"He told me to call the police, who asked me not to touch the baby, and they came immediately."

Mr Ahmed was then asked to file a report at Riffa Police Station.

"I believe the baby was given a shower and fed before being dumped in the parking lot as he didn't cry when I picked him up," said Mr Ahmed. "From the looks, I can say he had an Arab look. But you can't be 100 per cent sure."

Police last night confirmed the baby had been found abandoned and was still under observation in hospital.

Sources said the boy might be sent to an orphanage later if he was found to be healthy. Doctors said the baby was "absolutely fine".