A newborn baby boy in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, India miraculously survived after his mother hanged herself while he was still attached to her by the umbilical cord.

According to the local press, the baby’s mother, 36-year-old Laxmi Thakur, had given birth to her son last Thursday. Before the umbilical cord connecting the mother and child was severed, the mother made her way to the cowshed and hung herself in a bid to commit suicide.

The woman’s husband walked in on the scene and quickly called emergency personnel. The police who arrived at the scene found the newborn baby dangling under his mother’s sari sari.

A doctor quickly detached the umbilical cord and administered first aid to the baby before rushing it to the hospital. While Laxmi passed away, police officer Kavita Saini told the press that her son survived the ordeal:

“When I reached the spot and examined the body, I found a baby dangling under her sari. We cleaned the baby, wrapped him in a blanket and waited for medical help to arrive. The baby is healthy and we have moved him to a district hospital.”