Badhaal village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district has been declared a containment zone by the local administration after 17 people, including 13 children and 4 elders from three families, died due to a ‘mysterious illness’ in the past 50 days. The outbreak has left the community in shock, prompting authorities to impose strict surveillance and containment measures to prevent further deaths.
Containment Zone Declared as Part of the Strategy
District Magistrate Rajouri reacted to the staggering death toll by invoking Section 163 of the BNSS and initiating a containment strategy. Official orders stated that all families in which deaths have taken place will be treated as Containment Zone 1. The homes that are affected will be sealed and entry restricted strictly, not even for family members unless cleared by authorized officers.
Moreover, it has classified all the families being identified as contacts of the patient as Containment Zone 2. The order directs the moving of individuals immediately from these families to GMC Rajouri for continuous monitoring of health status.
In a bid to control the spread of the illness, the entire Badhaal village has been designated as Containment Zone 3. Special staff will be deployed to monitor food consumption and ensure that replaced food items are distributed under observation. The authorities will maintain a logbook recording every instance of food distribution and consumption, which will be checked three times a day for accountability.
Mysterious Illness and Deaths in Badhaal Village
The mysterious deaths in Badhaal village began on December 7, 2024, when five people from one family, including four children, died after consuming a community meal. Subsequent fatalities followed, including a woman and three children from another family on December 12, 2024. On January 9, 2025, Mohammad Aslam, a resident, lost six children, along with his maternal uncle and aunt, to the same mysterious illness.
The situation became more critical when a local youth, Aijaz Ahmed, fell ill and was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday evening. Aijaz is the nephew of Mohammad Aslam, who lost eight family members due to the disease.
Health Experts Fail to Find the Cause
Health experts and medicos have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the deaths. According to the government, clinical reports, lab investigations, and environmental samples have ruled out communicable diseases, viruses, or bacterial infections as the cause of the fatalities. As of now, health officials and experts are perplexed by the situation.
An inter-ministerial team has been sent to Badhaal village for further investigation, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the cause of mysterious deaths. The local police have also been directed to cooperate in the investigation.
The villagers are in fear, and the government is responding.
The deaths have caused widespread fear among the villagers of Badhaal, who are anxiously awaiting answers. With strict containment measures in place, local authorities are doing their best to control the situation while an investigation continues to determine the cause of the mysterious illness.
The administration has assured the public that the authorities are actively working to understand the origin of the illness and take the necessary action to prevent further loss of life.