The death toll due to mysterious deaths in Budhal village of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 16 as an elderly woman passed away on Friday.
Jatti Begum, 60, died of a mysterious illness today. Another girl Yasmeen Kounsar, 15, is battling for her life in SMGS hospital Jammu.
The woman had lost her husband Mohammad Yousuf yesterday.
Yasmeen, daughter of Mohammad Aslam is on ventilator support at SMGS Hospital. Of the six children of Aslam admitted to SMGS Hospital on Sunday, five have died.
All the victims belong to Badhaal village in the Kotranka sub-division of Rajouri district. 16 members of families have died since December last year – seven of them since Sunday.
Authorities have sealed three houses belonging to 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.
Police has formed an 11-member SIT headed by Budhal Superintendent of Police (Operations) Wajahat Hussain to investigate the deaths.
“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.
He said 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, ruling 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, Mohammad Rafiq, and Mohammad 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,” an official spokesman said.