
Srinagar- A mysterious illness that has taken 16 lives in a small village here has confounded authorities, which remain clueless about the cause of the deaths even two months after the first casualty.
Jatti Begum, 60, who perished from unknown causes on Friday is the latest casualty in the series. Another girl still battles for her life.
The victims belong to Badhaal village in the Kotranka sub-division of Rajouri district, where 16 members of three families have died since December last year – seven of them since Sunday.
Authorities have sealed three houses belonging to the affected families and shifted 21 of their close relatives to government accommodation to be kept under strict monitoring.
A team led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Dil Mir carried out the operation, with security personnel deployed at the sites, officials said.
Meanwhile, an 11-member SIT, headed by Budhal Superintendent of Police (Operations) Wajahat Hussain, has been formed to investigate the deaths.
Jatti Begum’s husband, Mohd Yousuf died three days ago in a hospital.
Yasmeen Kouser, 15, the daughter of Mohd Aslam, remains critical and is on ventilator support at SMGS Hospital in Jammu, officials said.
Of the six children of Mohd Aslam admitted to SMGS Hospital on Sunday, five have died.
“The situation is being fully monitored on all fronts. Many health and testing agencies are already involved in the investigation to determine the cause of these deaths,” Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo told reporters in Jammu.
“There is no evidence of viral, bacterial, or fungal infections so far. Further investigations are ongoing to identify the cause. To explore any possible criminal angle, an SIT has been formed,” he said.
Dulloo ruled out a health emergency, stating that only three families in the area were affected.
Investigators will examine all food items and medicines consumed by the families of Fazal, Mohd Rafiq, and Mohd Aslam, and samples will be sent to laboratories for testing, officials said.
The SIT has started its probe, examining the circumstances in the village, reviewing medical purchases from local chemists, and questioning residents.
A central team comprising experts from premier health and testing institutions is camping in the village.
“All samples have tested negative for any viral or bacteriological cause,” Dulloo said.
“Tests were conducted at reputed institutions, including the National Institute of Virology (Pune), the National Centre for Disease Control (New Delhi), and others,” he said. The first incident was reported on December 7 last year when a family of seven fell ill after a community meal, resulting in five deaths.
On December 12, a family of nine was affected, with three deaths.
The third incident occurred on January 12, involving a family of ten, with six children hospitalised.
On Wednesday night, Zabeena Kouser, 10, another child of Mohd Aslam, died at SMGS Hospital, while her 15-year-old sister Yasmeen remains critical, officials said.
Reports suggest that the incidents are not linked to any communicable disease.
“Toxicological analysis by CSIR-IITR detected toxins in multiple biological specimens,” a spokesperson said.
Notably, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Sakina Itoo on Thursday said the government is deeply committed to investigating the recent deaths in Rajouri.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Itoo said the matter involves precious lives. She urged that politicising the issue should be avoided.
“The government is taking the investigation very seriously, and every effort is being made to uncover the reasons behind these tragic deaths,” she said.
Itoo dismissed claims of delayed action by the health department, saying the department had screened approximately 3,500 villagers in the affected areas.
Houses of 3 affected families sealed
As a part of investigation by the SIT constituted by SSP Rajouri, Gaurav Sikarwar, the District Administration Rajouri sealed all the three houses of the affected families at Badhaal village. A team led by Additional DC, Koteranka Dil Mir and Tehsildar Sahil Ali Shah along with a police team sealed these houses and deployed some forces there.
About 22 members/close relatives of these families have been kept at a Government accommodation and they are being provided food/ eatables under the supervision of a team constituted by the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma. District Officer of ICDS Rajouri is heading this team.
The investigation team will check all the food items and other medicines etc being consumed by family members of Fazal, Mohd Rafiq and Mohd Aslam kept in their houses. Some items will be sent for testing in the Labs.
The SIT led by SP Ops, Wajahat Hussain today visited many Medical/ Chemist shops near Badhaal village and Kotranka from where these people had purchased medicines after illness. Some medical professionals also accompanied the team. The samples collected will also be sent for testing. The team also had cross questioning with members of the affected families. It has been learnt that some mischief over some old enemity over land or other domestic issues can not be ruled out in the instant case. The police were working on all the angles.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
ACT NOW |
MONTHLY | Rs 100 | |
YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |