JAMMU: A high-level inter-ministerial team from New Delhi visited the remote Badhaal village in Kotranka of J&K’s Rajouri district Monday to investigate the cause of death of 17 residents of three families who succumbed to a “mystery illness” since Dec 2024. Eight of the deaths — including that of six minor siblings — occurred since Jan 12 alone. Meanwhile, the district administration ordered the sealing of the village’s local water source (bawli).
Officials said the central team, headed by a director-rank officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, reached Rajouri district HQ Sunday evening. It met with senior civil administrative officials, health and police officers, and took a brief review of the situation.
The team, accompanied by dozens of senior officials of various departments, reached Badhaal around 11.30am Monday and met the bereaved families. According to officials, the central team, in collaboration with the local administration, will work on providing immediate relief and taking precautionary measures to prevent such tragedies in future.
Meanwhile, additional deputy commissioner (Kotranka subdivision) Dil Mir ordered the village water source to be sealed and instructed round-the-clock deployment of two-three security personnel at the spot. “Samples of water taken from the spring ‘bawli’ in the village tested positive for some pesticides or insecticides. The bawli was blocked by public health engineering department, Jal Shakti Division, Rajouri and sealed under orders of the district magistrate,” said an official.
Further investigations by police and health departments were underway, officials said. An SIT was set up after certain neurotoxins were detected in the samples of the deceased.
On Saturday, Union home minister Amit Shah ordered the constitution of the inter-ministerial high-level team to ascertain the causes of mass deaths in the past six weeks. On Friday, J&K CM Omar Abdullah had reviewed the situation in Badhaal village.
