Fear grips remote Kashmir village after mystery illness kills 17 people from three families
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The deaths, all occurring in the Budhal village, have left the local community paralysed with fear as experts raced to investigate the cause. A mysterious illness has devastated three families in a remote Indian village in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 17 people in just over a month.
The deaths, all occurring in the Budhal village in Rajouri district, have left the local community paralysed with fear as experts raced to investigate the cause. On Sunday, Yasmeen Kousar, 16, succumbed to the illness at a hospital in Jammu. Kousar was the last surviving child of Mohammad Aslam, who had already lost five of his children and two other relatives last week.
The fatalities were concentrated within three interrelated families, with nine members of two families having died between 7 and 12 December. Budhal, a remote village with a predominantly Scheduled Tribe population – one of India’s most disadvantaged groups – is now a place of mourning and fear. The victims have been buried in two rows across two graveyards – a grim reminder of the tragedy that unfolded. Community gatherings have ceased, and many residents have refused to consume food prepared outside their homes.
Federal home minister Amit Shah dispatched a high-level inter-ministerial team to investigate the situation. The team, composed of experts from the ministries of health, agriculture, chemicals, and water resources, arrived in Rajouri on Sunday evening and is investigating the cause.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating: “The health department and other agencies have probed the deaths, but the exact cause has not been determined yet. The Home Minister’s team will work with local authorities to provide relief and uncover the truth.”.
