Around 400-500 residents of Badhal village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district are being relocated to government accommodations for quarantine following a mysterious illness that has claimed 17 lives since December 2024. The illness, which first emerged in early December, has left the community in shock and prompted authorities to declare the village a containment zone.
The District Magistrate of Rajouri declared Badhal village a containment zone after five new cases were reported within two days. Affected families and their close relatives are being moved to quarantine facilities at GMC Rajouri, the old hospital Rajouri, Nursing College Rajouri, and Boys Higher Secondary School. The administration has arranged for regular health screenings and food provisions for those relocated.
The illness reportedly began on 7 December 2024, just days after a wedding feast at the home of Fazal Hussain on 2 December. Fazal and his four daughters fell ill and died within five days. The tragedy soon spread to two other families: Mohammad Rafiq lost his wife and three children, while Mohammad Aslam’s family lost six children, their maternal uncle, and an aunt.
Symptoms of the illness include fever, nausea, intense sweating, restlessness, pain, and loss of consciousness. Currently, 10 patients are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, with some showing signs of recovery. Health agencies have ruled out viral or bacterial infections as the cause of the illness. Instead, investigations suggest food contamination with toxic compounds in the local food chain. Cadmium, a neurotoxin, was found at dangerously high levels in the blood of one patient, Aijaz Ahmad, who is currently under treatment at PGI Chandigarh. After receiving an antidote, his condition has improved.
MLA Budhal Ch Javed Iqbal stated that the relocation is a precautionary measure to break the chain of contamination and ensure the safety of the villagers. The administration continues to monitor the situation closely and conduct further investigations to identify the exact cause of the illness.
