Kashmir

Badhal village declared containment zone following mysterious deaths

The incident follows the tragic deaths of 17 individuals so far under mysterious circumastances

Source: Jan-22-2025 3 min read

Badhal village, located in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, has been designated as a containment zone starting Wednesday, as per the directive of District Magistrate Rajouri, Rajeev Kumar Khajuria.

This decision follows the tragic deaths of 17 individuals from three families, which occurred under puzzling circumstances. The unfortunate events began on December 7, 2024, when five villagers, including four children, fell ill and subsequently died after sharing a meal. In the ensuing weeks, the number of fatalities linked to this unidentified illness continued to climb, with the most recent deaths recorded in January.

The families affected were residing approximately 1.5 kilometers apart within Budhal village. In response, authorities have sealed off the local spring, known as "bawli," after laboratory tests detected traces of pesticides or insecticides in the water supply. Additional Deputy Commissioner Dil Mir of the Kotranka subdivision has taken measures to block access to the spring and has deployed security personnel to prevent residents from drawing water from it. “We are concerned that the tribal population might be secretly retrieving water from the spring. This must be prevented at all costs,” the directive states.

The homes of the affected families have been locked, and the area has been divided into distinct zones to mitigate the risk of further casualties. Both public and private gatherings are now strictly forbidden in this vicinity.

Zone 1 encompasses the residences where the fatalities occurred, with access restricted without special permission.

Zone 2 consists of families identified as close contacts of the deceased, who have been relocated to Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri for ongoing medical surveillance.

Zone 3 includes the remainder of Badhal village, where authorities are actively monitoring food distribution and consumption to prevent any potential contamination across all households in the area.