Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government has stated that the 17 deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri district were likely caused by neurotoxic exposure rather than a bacterial or viral outbreak.
In a written reply to a question raised by MLA Budhal Javed Ahmed Choudhary, the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Ittoo, claimed that, as per the provisional findings of toxicological analysis conducted by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, and PGIMER Chandigarh, toxic substances like Aldicarb Sulfone, Acetamiprid and Butoxycarboxim, along with elevated cadmium, were found in some samples collected from the village.
A series of unexplained illness clusters were reported from village Badhaal between December 7, 2024, and January 24, 2025, wherein several closely related families developed symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, drowsiness, breathlessness and altered sensorium.
“These symptoms were reported in four clusters involving a total of 55 persons, of which 17 deaths were reported. After the incident, medical camps were established in affected areas, and door-to-door surveillance covering 3,577 residents was undertaken,” the reply said.
The Health and Medical Education Department treated the matter with urgency, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah personally visiting the area. Samples of food, water, drugs, and biological specimens were collected, and expert teams from ICMR, NCDC, PGIMER Chandigarh, AIIMS New Delhi, and other national institutions conducted a thorough investigation. The findings revealed no viral or bacterial outbreak but confirmed the presence of toxic substances.
“CSIR-IITR Lucknow had taken serum, plasma and CSF samples of Nazia; an OPS sample of Muhammad Ishtiaq; and maize and sattu bread from Aslam’s house and found aldicarb sulphate, acetamiprid, dithyldithiocarbamate and chlorfenapyr,” according to sources.
“The DRDE-DRDO Gwalior got sattu and maize bread samples from Aslam’s house and C2 samples of Ishfaq, Sultan, Nazia and Ishtiaq and C3 samples of Nabeena, Zahoor, Maroof, Zabeena and Yasmeen and found chlorfenapyr abrin,” they said.
“NFL FSSAI Ghaziabad got food samples from the houses of Nizamdin and Aslam and also from the CAPD depot in Dharmsal and found chlorfenapyr and chlorpyrophos. The central FSL Chandigarh got viscera samples from all 17 deceased persons and found chlorfenapyr in them,” sources added.
