Jammu :- A high-level inter-ministerial team of experts, formed under the directive of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is set to visit Budhal village in Rajouri district on Sunday to investigate a series of mysterious deaths that have claimed 16 lives since December 8.
The deaths, affecting three families in the village, have been characterized by symptoms including high fever, excessive sweating, and unconsciousness.The expert team comprises representatives from multiple Union ministries, including Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Water Resources.
They will work in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir’s forensic sciences, animal husbandry, and food safety departments to investigate the cause of these deaths.Initial laboratory analyses from the country’s premier facilities have ruled out viral or bacterial causes but have detected the presence of toxins in the samples. Dr. A.S. Bhatia, principal of the government medical college Rajouri, addressed local concerns during a press conference in Budhal village on Saturday, explaining that the toxins may have caused irreversible brain damage in patients who sought medical attention too late.
The situation has prompted the UT government to order a criminal investigation, particularly given that the deaths are concentrated among just three families in the village. One family alone lost five of its seven members to the mysterious illness. As a precautionary measure, the affected families have been isolated after health department experts screened 3,500 residents in Budhal and neighboring villages.The Rajouri police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough investigation into these incidents, while local medical teams continue to monitor the situation closely.
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