Says samples sent to five labs, all tested negative, 1 more woman passes away, death toll reaches 16
Srinagar, Jan 17: As the death toll mounted to 16 with one more woman passing away due to mysterious illness at Budhal village in Rajouri district, Health Minister, Sakina Masood Itoo on Friday declared that these deaths are not taking place due to any virus or any influenza.
The Health Minister said, “Five deaths occurring initially had sent alarm bells ringing. It seemed that these deaths could have taken place due to some virus or influenza.”
“We were apprehending that it could be a virus like Covid but it’s nothing like it. All tests have come negative,” she added.
The Minister said that the Health Department was monitoring the situation closely from the very first day. “Samples were collected from the area and were sent for testing in five labs including Lucknow, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh and GMC Jammu, but all of them tested negative,” Itoo said, adding, “The teams of Health Department carried out the extensive survey and took samples of the people who were ill but no virus or influenza was found. All these tested negative in different laboratories.”
The Health Minister said that at present the Home Department is investigating the reasons behind the mysterious deaths in the hamlet. “There is no health angle as all the issues have been cleared,” she said. “Probe is on and there is no need to panic. It’s not a health issue.”
60-YEAR WOMAN DIES, TOLL 16
Meanwhile, another 60-year woman, Jatti Begum wife of Mohammad Yousuf of Budhal village died at GMC Rajouri today, taking the death count to 16, including 12 children in the past over 45 days, officials said.
The woman, according to the officials, had been brought to GMC Rajouri on Thursday.
Her husband had died due to the same mysterious illness on Monday. Yousuf and his wife were relatives of Mohammad Aslam, who lost 5 children due to this mysterious illness.
Pertinently, over a dozen including minors have died due to unknown reasons while the government in an official statement had stated that clinical reports, lab investigations, and environmental samples indicate that the incidents are not due to a communicable disease while the toxicological analysis conducted by CSIR-IITR has detected toxins in multiple biological specimens.
The Home Department has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reach the root cause of the matter.
Mystery confound authorities, 16 perished
Jammu, Jan 17: 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.
CM directs expediting investigation
Srinagar, Jan 17: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the alarming situation in Budhal village of Rajouri district, where mysterious deaths have claimed 16 lives, with one more victim succumbing to an unexplained illness.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Health & Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo; Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, Dheeraj Gupta; ADGP Jammu, Anand Jain; Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; Secretary Health & Medical Education, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, and other senior medical and police officers.
Secretary Health & Medical Education, briefed the Chief Minister on the steps taken so far. He reported that health department teams had conducted door-to-door survey of over 3,000 residents in the affected area, collecting and testing samples of water, food, and other materials.
He informed that all test results, including those for influenza and other possible contaminants, came back negative. The meeting was informed that additional testing was carried out by premier national institutes, including ICMR, National Institute of Virology, National Centre for Disease Control, CSIR, DRDO, and PGIMER Chandigarh, but no definite cause for the deaths was identified.
Police officials informed the meeting that investigations are underway to determine the root cause of the fatalities, which have been limited to three families residing within 1.5 kilometers of each other.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed the health and police departments to expedite their investigations.
“The unexplained nature of these deaths is deeply concerning, and the government is committed to ensuring that the root cause is identified at the earliest. I urge all departments to collaborate and leave no stone unturned in resolving this issue,” he stated.
It was also emphasized during the meeting that the health department has maintained an active presence in the area over the past 40 days, providing ambulances, medicines, and essential facilities to address any emergencies.
Expressing his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister reassured the public that the administration is treating the situation with the highest priority.
“The health and safety of our citizens remain our top priority. The government is fully committed to resolving this crisis and ensuring justice for the affected families,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and Peoples Conference (PC) demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone said that the details obtained about the disease must be shared with national experts. “The seemingly mysterious disease in Rajouri is heart wrenching. I sincerely hope that our medical fraternity is able to identify the cause of the deaths.” Sajad Lone said in a post on ‘X’.
“Such mysterious medical puzzles come up at regular intervals around the world. It is imperative that information about the disease obtained so far is shared nationally with the medical scientists and experts,” he said.
Expressing concern over the loss of lives, Congress has urged the authorities to provide medical aid.
“We are deeply concerned about the tragic situation in Badhal village, Rajouri, where 16 lives have been lost to a mysterious illness. We urge authorities to provide medical aid and investigate the cause.” Congress said in a post on ‘X’
“Congress stands with the affected families during this difficult time,” the post added.
