Photo: screenshot of media report

 A man in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province was detained by police for burying his 79-year-old mother alive in an abandoned graveyard, local police announced Wednesday.

Police in Jingbian county said they have received a report on Tuesday night, in which the whistleblower surnamed Zhang claimed that her husband surnamed Ma, 58, has not come back after taking his mother, 79, out with his cart on Saturday.

Police found Ma on Tuesday night and Ma confessed that he had buried his paralyzed mother in an abandoned graveyard pit.

After confirming the location, the police immediately excavated the pit and heard a faint cry for help. The mother has been sent to hospital for treatment. Ma has been detained for intentional murder.