Organophosphorus poisoning is likely behind the deaths of 17 people in Badhaal village of the Rajouri district, officials said on Monday.
Experts seem to have finally cracked the likely killer behind mystery deaths in Rajouri, as the patients receiving antidote drugs are recovering well, officials said.
A top doctor managing the cases said that his team has administered an antidote—an atropine injection—to patients who are admitted to the hospital and it worked well.
Atropine injection is used to treat poisoning caused by organophosphorus nerve agents, including organophosphorus or carbamate insecticides.
He told reporters that the official sample reports are yet to arrive from the top laboratories.
“We have used the hit-and-trial method; it worked well. We administered atropine to two patients for other purposes to increase the heart rate; they survived and are recovering well,” he said.
He added that as atropine has shown positive results, it is more likely that organophosphorus or related salts could be the reason behind the wave of deaths in Rajouri village.
The doctor, however, said that official reports are yet to come concluding that organophosphorus is behind these deaths would be premature at this stage.
A doctor speaking on anonymity stated, "Several patients have shown improvement after receiving atropine. However, it would be premature to conclusively attribute these deaths to organophosphorus poisoning. Over 200 potential toxins are curre".
So far, 17 people, including 14 children, have lost their lives, while several others have been shifted to hospitals due to “mysterious” illness in the Badhaal village over the past two months. The SIT is also investigating the possible communal angles, as the village consists of a mixed population.
The death due to the mysterious illness, which claimed the lives of villagers between 7 December 2024 and 19 January 2025, has baffled local and national health authorities.
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