Jammu: The number of deaths due to a mysterious disease went up to 17 in Rajouri's Badal village. Another girl died on Sunday evening. Principal GMC Jammu, Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, told ETV Bharat that the sixth child of Mohd. Aslam died in SMGS Hospital, Jammu, this evening.
Dr. Ashutosh Gupta further said a team of the Ministry of Home Affairs reached Jammu in the morning, and we briefed them about the overall situation of Budhaal deaths. Later, the team reached the Budhaal Rajouri area on Sunday to ascertain the cause of the mysterious deaths, Dr. Ashutosh added.
Three days ago, five children of Mohammad Aslam lost their lives due to an unknown disease, and the sixth child was fighting for her life on a ventilator in the SMGS hospital in Jammu, and today she died. Mohd Aslam has lost all his children to this 'mysterious illness' now. Aslam has lost four daughters, two sons, and his maternal uncle and aunt in the last week.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday ordered the constitution of an inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs to visit the affected village to ascertain the causes of deaths in 3 incidents in the past six weeks in Jammu’s Rajouri district. The team consists of experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and the Ministry of Water Resources reached Rajouri today.
The team also was assisted by experts from animal husbandry, food safety, and forensic science labs, the officials said. The team of experts reached Jammu today and went to Rajouri Budhaal, including experts from some of the most reputed institutions of the country, who have been arranged to manage the situation and understand the causative factors of deaths.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the deaths. The SIT comprises experts from the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department, Microbiology Department, and Pediatrics Department. The police are exploring all possible angles, including foul play, and are working to identify the source of the toxins.
