Death toll from unknown illness in Rajouri rises to 8, Central team of experts setup

Rajouri : The death toll from an unknown illness in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district has risen to eight, with another child succumbing to the mysterious disease in a hospital here on Wednesday, prompting authorities to set up a central team of experts to assist in investigating the cases and fatalities in the affected village.

A Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) mobile laboratory has been dispatched to Rajouri to expedite testing and identify the illness, officials said.

Twelve-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed, son of Mohammad Rafiq, passed away after being hospitalised at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for six days, officials said.

He was earlier referred to Chandigarh for treatment but could not survive, officials said.

Ashfaq’s younger siblings—seven-year-old Ishtiyaq and five-year-old Nazia—died last Thursday.

With the death of Ashfaq, the number of fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka tehsil has reached eight. All the deceased belonged to two families from the same village.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, visited Kotranka on Monday to assess the ground situation in Badhaal village, where seven people, including six children under the age of 14, have died due to the unidentified illness.

“In response to the incident, a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) mobile laboratory has been sent to Rajouri. Additionally, a central team of experts has been constituted to assist the Union Territory administration in investigating the cases and fatalities,” an official spokesperson said. — (PTI)