Mysterious illness claims 14 lives in J&K’s Rajouri

In Jammu and Kashmir, the mysterious illness in Badhal village of Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district has claimed two more lives in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 14 since December 2024. 

The latest victims include a six-year-old girl, Safina Kousar, who died at the SMGS hospital Jammu, and her relative, Mohd Yusuf, who passed away at GMC Rajouri yesterday.  Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, yesterday, chaired a meeting with health experts and officials from national institutions to investigate the cause of the deaths. 

He urged Health and Police Departments to coordinate in investigating the mystery. During the meeting, it was told that experts from PGIMER, NIV, and NCDC found no infections but identified neurotoxins in the victims’ samples. The



UT administration has launched an investigation into the unexplained deaths of 14 individuals.  

The deaths, which have raised significant concern, occurred over the past month, and the cause remains unclear. In response to the deaths, the State government has taken several measures, including deploying Rapid Response Teams, testing water sources, and analysing samples from both humans and animals. The assistance of respected health institutions across the country has been sought to help determine the actual cause of the deaths. 

Worth mentioning, from the 7th of December 2024, a total of 14 deaths have been reported out of 38 affected individuals across three separate incidents in Badhal village of Rajouri district