A wave of tragedy has struck Badhaal village in the Kotranka sub-division of Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, where 14 people, including 11 children, have died under puzzling circumstances. While eight deaths occurred in December, six more fatalities have been reported this January, with the latest incident taking place on Tuesday evening.
Government and Health Department Responds
Addressing the growing concerns, Health Minister Sakeena Masood confirmed that the fatalities are not linked to any mysterious disease. Extensive testing, conducted in premier laboratories across India, including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in Pune, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi, and PGI Chandigarh, has yielded negative results. Tests on water and food samples have also ruled out contamination.
Masood emphasized that if an infectious disease were responsible, it would have affected more individuals rather than being confined to three closely related families living in the same vicinity.
SIT Formed to Unravel the Mystery
To expedite the investigation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of Superintendent of Police (Operations), Budhal, Wajahat Hussain. The SIT includes experts from forensic medicine, microbiology, pediatrics, and pathology, alongside officers from various police units.
The team has been tasked with uncovering the root cause of these deaths and delivering a comprehensive report at the earliest.
Massive Health Screening Drive Initiated
The health department has deployed its resources to screen over 3,500 villagers through a door-to-door campaign. Samples have been collected and sent to multiple laboratories for thorough analysis.
Community Concerns and Assurance
The spate of deaths in three families has caused alarm among the residents of Badhaal village. However, officials assure that the situation is under control, and every effort is being made to unveil the cause and prevent further tragedies.
This case remains a high-priority concern, and authorities are determined to find answers to the lingering questions surrounding these unexplained fatalities.
Stay tuned for updates as the investigation unfolds.
