Mysterious Disease Claims 12 Lives, Including Children, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri District

A mysterious disease has claimed the lives of 12 people, including children, in Badhaal village of the Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir. The latest fatalities occurred on Monday, when two more children succumbed to the illness while receiving treatment at the hospital, officials reported.

The outbreak began in December 2024 and has primarily affected two families in the village under the Kotranka sub-division. On Saturday, six children from the family of Mohammad Aslam were admitted to a local health center after exhibiting symptoms such as fever, sweating, vomiting, dehydration, and episodes of unconsciousness. Five-year-old Nabeena died on Sunday, and two more children passed away the following day, raising the death toll to 12.

Preliminary Investigations and Expert Involvement

Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, principal of GMC Hospital, indicated that preliminary investigations suggest a viral infection as the possible cause. However, further studies are required to determine the exact nature of the disease.

Expert teams from institutions including the National Institute of Virology in Pune, PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been dispatched to the village to assist in the investigation.

Unsettling Parallels to Previous Incident

This tragedy echoes a similar incident from December 2024, when eight members of a related family in the same village died under mysterious circumstances. Aijaz Ahmed, a relative of the deceased children, expressed frustration over the health department’s inability to identify the cause of the deaths.

The affected children were initially referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) and Associated Hospital in Rajouri, before being transferred to SMGS Hospital in Jammu. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source and nature of the illness.