Mysterious Disease Claims 8 Lives In J&K, Centre Rushes Expert Team

Ashfaq's younger siblings—seven-year-old Ishtiyaq and five-year-old Nazia—died last Thursday. The number of fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka tehsil has reached eight.

All the deceased belonged to two families from the same village.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Another child succumbed to an "unknown illness" in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, taking the death toll to eight. The fresh death has prompted authorities to set up a central team of experts to assist in investigating the cases and fatalities in the affected village. The child, Ashfaq Ahmed, who died due to the illness was 12 years old. He was admitted to Government Medical College in Jammu for six days and later referred to Chandigarh.

Ashfaq's younger siblings—seven-year-old Ishtiyaq and five-year-old Nazia—died last Thursday. The number of fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka tehsil has reached eight and all the deceased belonged to two families from the same village.

A Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) mobile laboratory has been dispatched to Rajouri to expedite testing and identify the illness, PTI reported quoting officials. Twelve-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed, son of Mohammad Rafiq, passed away after being hospitalised at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for six days, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, visited Kotranka on Monday to assess the ground situation in Badhaal village, where seven people, including six children under the age of 14, have died due to the unidentified illness.

"In response to the incident, a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) mobile laboratory has been sent to Rajouri. Additionally, a central team of experts has been constituted to assist the Union Territory administration in investigating the cases and fatalities," an official spokesperson said.