In a distressing account, Mohammad Aslam Katariya shared the tragedy that befell his family when they succumbed to a mysterious illness characterized by symptoms resembling a viral infection—fever, body aches, and nausea. This devastating health crisis struck on December 7 in the remote village of Badhaal, located four hours from Jammu in the mountainous Rajouri district.
The illness has spread its toll, impacting two additional families and resulting in a total of 17 fatalities. “We are completely at a loss regarding this inexplicable disease,” lamented Katariya. He mourned the recent loss of his 16-year-old niece, Yasmeen Kounsar, who passed away late Sunday at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh hospital in Jammu. Tragically, Aslam’s uncle and aunt were also victims of this baffling condition.
Another local resident, Mohammad Rafiq, faced similar heartbreak; he lost his three children and pregnant wife after they were shuffled between hospitals seeking advanced treatment, with the family’s suffering commencing even before the New Year on December 12.
In the sorrowful village, the graves of all 17 deceased are lined in two graveyards, a somber testament to the unfolding tragedy. Choudhary Javed Iqbal, the local MLA, recounted that all three clusters of deaths transpired between December 7 and January 12.
Initially, suspicions arose regarding food poisoning after the first family had a community meal, but medical examinations dispelled this theory. The circumstances surrounding these tragic deaths remain shrouded in uncertainty, despite the government’s extensive efforts to uncover the truth.
Medical teams conducted tests on samples from the deceased and screened over 3,000 individuals in the vicinity, but results indicated that the fatalities were not linked to any communicable bacterial or viral diseases. An official statement released on January 16 noted that comprehensive toxicological analyses were performed at renowned laboratories, including the National Institute of Virology in Pune and the National Centre for Disease Control in New Delhi, among others.
The toxicological investigations revealed the presence of toxins in several biological samples. However, medical experts stated that these toxins alone could not account for the fatalities. In light of the situation’s severity, Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the establishment of an inter-ministerial team to investigate and clarify the causes behind these unusual deaths.
A high-ranking official led this team into the grieving community on Monday morning to visit affected families living close to each other and initiate their investigative work. Additionally, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to delve deeper into the tragic occurrences.
