Mysterious deaths in Jammu village confound authorities, 16 perished

Rajouri/Jammu, Jan 17 (PTI) 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 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.