Rajouri/Jammu: The death toll from an unidentified illness in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, has increased to eight, as a child succumbed to the mysterious disease in a local hospital on Wednesday.
This has led authorities to establish a central team of experts to help investigate the cases and deaths in the impacted village. A mobile laboratory with Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) capabilities has been sent to Rajouri to accelerate testing and identify the illness, according to officials.
Twelve-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed, son of Mohammad Rafiq, died after being hospitalized at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu for six days. He had previously been referred to a facility in Chandigarh for treatment but ultimately did not survive.
Ashfaq’s younger siblings, seven-year-old Ishtiyaq and five-year-old Nazia, passed away the previous Thursday. With Ashfaq’s death, the total fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka tehsil has risen to eight, with all victims belonging to two families from the same community.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, visited Kotranka on Monday to evaluate the situation in Badhaal village, where seven individuals, including six children under 14, have lost their lives due to the unexplained illness. “In reaction to this incident, a BSL-3 mobile laboratory has been dispatched to Rajouri.
Additionally, a team of specialists has been formed to assist the Union Territory administration in the investigation of the cases and deaths,” stated an official spokesperson.
