Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Mar 29: Government has said that at least 17 people who died in mysterious illness in Budhal area of Rajouri district between December 2024 and January 2025 were likely victims of toxic exposure, not an infectious disease outbreak.
In a written reply to a starred question by MLA Javid Iqbal in the Legislative Assembly, the Health and Medical Education Department said the deaths occurred across four clusters reported from Badhal village in Kandi block between December 7, 2024, and January 24, 2025, affecting a total of 55 people, mostly from closely related families or those in contact with affected households.
As per provisional findings of toxicological analysis conducted by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, and PGIMER Chandigarh, the Government said, the incidents do not appear to be linked to any viral or bacterial outbreak.
Instead, the presence of toxic substances has been detected in samples.
The analysis, Government said, found pesticide compounds such as Aldicarb Sulfone, Acetamiprid and Butoxycarboxim, along with elevated levels of cadmium in some samples, indicating possible neurotoxic exposure as the cause of the illness clusters.
The Government informed the House that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), along with an inter-ministerial team constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is examining the case to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The findings, it said, are provisional and the investigation is going on.
The Government said that the patients had reported symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, drowsiness, breathlessness and altered sensorium.
The Government said that following the incidents, extensive containment and investigation measures were launched in coordination with the district administration. Medical camps were set up in the affected areas, while door-to-door surveillance covering 3,577 residents was carried out.
The situation, as per the Government, was reviewed at the highest level by the Chief Minister, Health Minister and Chief Secretary, with expert teams from national institutions including ICMR, NCDC, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS New Delhi involved in the investigation.
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