SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the measures undertaken to identify the causes of the mysterious deaths reported in Badhal village, Rajouri district.
The Chief Secretary emphasised the need for close coordination between the Health and Police Departments to analyze reports from reputed institutions and determine the underlying causes of the deaths. He directed the Police Department to utilise all available resources, including scientific methods, to support the investigation. The Health Department was also urged to thoroughly examine the reports for actionable insights.
Dulloo said that reports from various institutions are now available, with more expected soon, and expressed confidence that these findings would be sufficient to conclude the investigation and identify the reasons behind the deaths in the affected village.
Experts from PGIMER (Chandigarh), NIV, CSIR, and NCDC briefed the meeting on their findings from extensive sample studies. They reported no evidence of viral, bacterial, or microbial infections as the cause of the deaths, which appear localised and possibly linked to epidemiological factors.
Additionally, it was revealed that certain neurotoxins were detected in samples from the deceased individuals, which are currently being investigated to determine their origin and role.
Since December 7, several deaths have been reported among 38 affected individuals in three separate incidents in Badhal village, with the causes remaining unknown.
The government has implemented several measures, including deploying Rapid Response Teams, testing samples from humans and animals, analyzing water sources, and seeking assistance from reputed national health institutions to uncover the causes of these deaths.
