Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, the head of the Apni Party, has expressed serious concern over the recent deaths of three more children in Rajouri, suspected to be from food poisoning or an unknown illness.
In a post on X, Bukhari shared that the death toll in Badhaal village has risen to three after two more children passed away. The exact cause of death is still unknown, though food poisoning or an unidentified illness are suspected. He called the deaths deeply tragic and worrying.
The victims, all siblings under the age of 10, were two brothers and a sister. Four other children are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. Health officials reported that six children from Mohammad Aslam’s family were brought to a local health center for a check-up on Saturday evening.
Suspecting something unusual, they were referred to Rajouri’s government medical college and later transferred to SMGS Hospital in Jammu, where 5-year-old Nabeena died on Sunday. On Monday, 14-year-old Zahoor and 8-year-old Maroof also passed away during treatment.
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This mysterious illness has already claimed the lives of nine children from two families in Kotranka village since last month. The recent deaths have raised the toll to 12. Aijaz Ahmed, a relative of the deceased, told reporters that the cause of the deaths is still unknown, and the health department has not been able to identify the disease.
Residents of the village are living in constant fear due to the spread of this mysterious illness. Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, the principal of GMC Hospital, stated last month that early investigations suggested a viral infection, but further studies are needed for a proper diagnosis.
Experts from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi, and the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi have visited the village to help with the investigation.
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