NEW DELHI, Jan 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed the formation of an inter-ministerial team to investigate the recent deaths that have occurred in a village within Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district over the last six weeks.
This team will be led by a senior officer from the Union home ministry and will include specialists from the ministries of health and family welfare, agriculture, chemicals and fertilisers, and water resources, as stated in an official announcement.
Additionally, the team will receive support from experts in animal husbandry, food safety, and forensic science laboratories.
The central team’s visit is scheduled for Sunday, where they will collaborate with local authorities to provide immediate assistance and implement preventive strategies to avert further incidents, according to the statement.
Professionals from some of the top institutions in the country have been engaged to handle the situation and determine the underlying causes of the deaths.
In total, at least 16 individuals have succumbed to an unexplained illness in Budhal village of Rajouri district within the past 45 days.
Patients reported symptoms such as fever, pain, nausea, and loss of consciousness before passing away within days of being admitted to medical facilities. A young girl remains in critical condition.
Previously, a government spokesperson from Jammu and Kashmir mentioned that investigations and sample analyses indicated that these incidents were not linked to any communicable bacterial or viral disease and that there are no public health concerns.
