After weeks of fear and uncertainty following 17 mysterious deaths, including 13 children from three related families, the remote village of Badhaal in Jammu Kashmir is slowly returning to normalcy.
The tragic deaths, which occurred between December 7, 2024, and January 19, 2025, had shaken the tight-knit community, prompting authorities to impose strict quarantine measures
Over 300 villagers remain quarantined at a hospital in Rajouri, 55 kilometers from Badhaal, where strict surveillance, including CCTV monitoring of food preparation, has been implemented.
The Assistant District Development Commissioner (Kotranaka) confirmed that no new cases have emerged in the last three weeks, and all previously ill patients have recovered and been discharged.
Despite the apparent containment of the outbreak, villagers are being kept under quarantine as a precautionary measure.
In an effort to understand the cause of the mysterious deaths, a team from AIIMS Delhi visited the village, examining the residents’ lifestyle, diet, and living conditions. They collected samples of food and other items for further analysis.
Meanwhile, doctors at Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri ruled out infectious diseases, shifting the focus to potential toxic exposure.
A toxicological analysis revealed the presence of neurotoxins in biological samples from the victims, deepening the mystery.
Jammu Kashmir’s Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, visited Badhaal last month alongside several ministers to assess the situation firsthand.