Amidst 16 people have died within nearly 45 days due to mysterious illness in Budhal village of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday directed the health and police authorities to expedite the probe, reported News18.
According to the report, Omar Abdullah convened a meeting on Thursday asking the authorities to identify the causes of deaths, which has triggered concerns in the region and propelling the government to set up teams.
“The unexplained nature of these deaths is deeply concerning. The government is fully committed to uncovering the root cause and ensuring the safety of our people. All departments must collaborate and leave no stone unturned to resolve this issue," News18 quoted Abdullah as saying in the meeting.
Abdullah assured the people that his government is committed to resolving the crisis and “ensuring justice for the bereaved families".
Among those who attended the meeting include Health Minister Sakeena Itoo and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.
On deaths reported in Budhal village due to a 'mysterious illness, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said, as ANI reported, "The health department of J&K and other departments also conducted an investigation into it but the correct facts could not be ascertained. Yesterday Union Home Minister Amit Shah constituted a committee of experts and the team has arrived...The police have also formed an SIT..."
According to the details, on December 7, 2024, the first case was reported, following which a family of seven people fell ill after a community meal, leading to five deaths.
A family of nine was affected on 12 December 2024, causing three fatalities.
On 12 January, the third incident was reported in which a family of 10 people fell ill after another community meal. Six children were hospitalised in the incident.
On Wednesday night, a 10-year-old Zabeena Kouser died at Jammu’s SMGS Hospital, while her 15-year-old sister Yasmeen Kouser was reportedly critical, News18 quoted the officials as saying.
After this, the government said that it had taken multiple steps to ascertain the root cause of the illness, adding the report.
The government has claimed that the teams have conducted door-to-door surveys of over 3,000 residents in the affected area and collected and tested samples of water, food, and other materials.
“All test results, including those for influenza and possible contaminants, have come back negative," News18 quoted an official as saying.
He further stated that even advanced testing conducted by leading national institutes, such as ICMR, the National Institute of Virology, the National Centre for Disease Control, CSIR, DRDO, and PGIMER-Chandigarh, was unable to identify a definitive cause of the deaths.
However the police stated the deaths were confined to three families living within 1.5 km distance from each other. Further probe is underway.
With agency inputs.
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