| Unexplained deaths in Rajouri’s Budhaal village: 16 lives lost, fear, anger sweep region | | | Early Times Report
Rajouri, Jan 18: A wave of mysterious deaths has struck Budhaal village in the Kotranka subdivision of Rajouri district, leaving residents distraught and fearful. Over the past 42 days, 16 lives have been claimed, including 12 children and four adults, as medical authorities scramble to identify the root cause of the illness.
The latest victim, 60-year-old Jatta Begum, wife of Mohammad Yousuf, a resident of Badhaal village, succumbed at GMC Associated Hospital Rajouri.
On Friday evening, Jatti Begum was shifted to GMC Rajouri from Community Health Centre (CHC) Kandi after her condition deteriorated.
Her husband, Mohammad Yousuf, 60, also died three days ago in GMC Rajouri due to this "mysterious disease."
Shockingly, five children from the same family have also died from this "mysterious disease."
The condition of the sixth child, Yasmeen Kouser (15), daughter of Mohammad Afzal, remains critical. She has been kept on a ventilator, and a team of senior doctors is monitoring her condition.
The deaths began on December 8, 2024, with the passing of Fazal Hussain, a 40-year-old father of four. Since then, the toll has risen steadily, encompassing three families in the village. The victims presented symptoms that included fever, dizziness, vomiting, sore throat, and severe neurological complications resembling brain infections. However, medical experts have been unable to pinpoint a definitive cause despite rigorous investigations.
Adding to the agony, residents allege that local healthcare facilities were ill-equipped to handle the crisis. They claim children who were initially stable deteriorated rapidly during treatment, raising questions about the quality of care provided.
“We trusted the authorities to save our children, but instead, we lost them. They were given multiple injections, and instead of recovering, their condition worsened,” one grieving mother Timeline of Tragedy
> December 8, 2024: Fazal Hussain (40) dies at GMC Rajouri. His daughters Farmana (7) and Rabia Kausar (14) died while being transported to Jammu, followed by his son Ruksan Ahmed (10) at SMGS Hospital.
> December 12, 2024: Fazal’s youngest son, Raftar Ahmed (4), dies at SMGS Hospital.
> December 12, 2024: Mohammad Rafiq’s daughter, Nazia Kausar (7), dies in Rajouri. His sons, Mohammad Ishtiaq (10) and Ishfaq Ahmed (12), passed away en route to SMGS Jammu and PGIMER Chandigarh.
> December 23, 2024: Mohammad Rafiq’s pregnant wife, Rajim Begum, succumbs at GMC Rajouri.
> January 12, 2025: Mohammad Aslam’s children, Navina Kausar (9) and Zahoor Ahmed (14), died at SMGS Hospital in Jammu.
> January 13, 2025: Mohammad Aslam’s son, Mohammad Maroof (10) died of the “mysterious disease”, and his grandfather, Mohammad Yosuf, died from shock.
> January 14, 2025: Mohammad Aslam’s youngest daughter, Safina Kouser (12), passes away in the SMGS ICU.
> January 16, Javina Kousar, daughter of Mohammad Yosuf died.
> On January 17, Jatti Begum, wife of Mohammad Yosuf died.
The mysterious deaths have fueled panic, with residents accusing authorities of negligence and poor handling of the crisis. Local women have alleged that their children were forcibly taken for treatment without adequate communication or consent. They also claimed that improper medical procedures exacerbated their children's conditions.
“Why weren’t our children shifted to better hospitals outside Jammu and Kashmir when SMGS lacked the facilities to treat them?” one resident asked angrily.
The inability of health officials to identify the cause of the deaths has sparked outrage among the residents of Kotranka. Many have threatened to launch widespread protests against what they see as official apathy and incompetence. The anger has been compounded by a perceived lack of urgency in transferring critically ill patients to advanced medical facilities outside the Union Territory.
Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, visited the affected families and promised full government support. He directed officials to expedite the analysis of samples collected from water sources, food items, and other consumables. Yet, for many in Badhaal, the assurances have done little to assuage their grief or alleviate their fears.
Medical teams from some of the country’s top institutions, including the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and PGIMER Chandigarh, have been deployed to investigate the deaths. A 42-foot-long mobile laboratory from ICMR has also been stationed in Kotranka to collect samples, although its deployment to the affected village was hampered by narrow and inaccessible roads.
More than 200 samples have been collected for analysis, encompassing blood and tissue from victims, as well as environmental samples like water and food. While preliminary reports have ruled out viral, bacterial, and microbial infections, traces of neurotoxins have been detected in some samples. These toxins are suspected to be the likely culprits behind the fatalities, but their source remains unidentified.
In addition, over 4,000 residents from Badhaal and neighboring areas have been screened for symptoms. Among them, 28 individuals exhibited suspicious signs, with seven succumbing to the illness later. Experts believe the presence of neurotoxins may be linked to contamination in the local environment, but investigations are ongoing. |
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