'Health Emergency' In Rajouri: 17 Dead After Falling Sick To Mysterious Illness J&K Declares Containment Zone

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Mysterious illness in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri claimed 17 lives, all of whom were members of three families. These tragic deaths took place with a span of one and a half months. Following this dreadful happening, the leaves of all doctors and paramedics at Rajouri's Government Medical College were cancelled.

According to officials, four adults and 13 children died in the remote Badhaal village located in Kotranka due to the unknown disease. A medical alert has been issued in the region since eight of the deaths have occurred after January 11. Investigations are underway to identify the toxins (poisonous substances) responsible for the mass deaths.

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"The central team and police have also launched separate probes into the deaths which remained confined mysteriously within three families. Four adults and 13 children belonging to the families of Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Rafiq in Badhaal village died due to a mysterious illness over the past one-and-a-half months," Times of India quoted an official as saying.

In Badhaal village, prohibitory orders have been imposed, banning on all public and private gatherings. GMC Rajouri principal Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia said,“The winter vacations have also been cancelled to deal with the medical alert situation.”

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To aid the medical setup amid the ongoing health emergency, the state government deployed 10 additional medical students to GMC Rajouri. Around 200 close relatives of the victim's families were moved to an isolation centre on Saturday. At the same time, fellow villagers suffering with similar symptoms were admitted in various hospitals.

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Amid ongoing to efforts identify the cause and the mysterious illness, Badhaal village has been declared a containment zone. To address the medical crisis in Badhaal village, an 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted after certain neurotoxins were found in the samples of the deceased.

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