Centre’s high level team reaches Budhal; Efforts on to ascertain cause of deaths, says LG
Srinagar, Jan 19: The sixth and last child of Mohammad Aslam from Budhal village of Rajouri in Jammu division has succumbed at GMC Jammu, taking the death toll in the ‘mysterious disease’ to 17.
An official told that Yasmeena Jan, daughter of Mohammad Aslam was taken to GMC Rajouri last Sunday from where she was referred to GMC Jammu on Monday for advanced treatment however she died during treatment this evening.
Principal GMC Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta confirmed her death and said that her condition was critical from day one.
Yasmeen was the lone surviving child of Mohammad Aslam, who lost his all six children to this ‘mysterious illness’ now.
Aslam has lost four daughters, two sons and his maternal uncle and aunt in last one week.
Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo has ruled out any possibility of virus and infection after conducting tests at multiple institutes of India.
Meanwhile, a high level of team of Union Government reached the Budhal village on Sunday to ascertain the cause of the mysterious deaths.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said that the efforts are on to ascertain the cause of mysterious deaths of 16 people who died in Rajouri’s Budhal village during the past 45 days.
He said the Health and other departments conducted an investigation into the matter but the correct facts could not be ascertained.”
“Yesterday Union Home Minister Amit Shah constituted a committee of experts and the team has arrived. The police have also formed an SIT and efforts are being put in to know what caused these deaths,” KNO quoted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as having said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday ordered constitution of an inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs to visit Budhal village in Rajouri District to ascertain the cause of mysterious illness that claimed 16 lives.
The team arrived in Budhal village today and in collaboration with the local administration started the investigations. The team constituted by the Union Home Minister comprises experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Ministry of Water Resources.
The team is being assisted by experts from animal husbandry, food safety and forensic science labs.
The team has experts from some of the most reputed institutions of the country. They have been arranged to manage the situation and understand the causative factors of deaths.
