A mysterious disease has been wreaking havoc in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, claiming 16 lives and affecting 38 people since early December 2024.
The Indian Army has been deployed to the area to provide essential supplies, including food, water, and shelter, to the residents.
Locals are grateful for the Army's support, with one resident, Mohammed Bashir, saying, "The Army has been deployed here and is providing us with rations, tents, and essential supplies. They're giving us food, water, and support for 4-5 days. We're grateful for their help during this difficult time."
Despite the efforts of medical experts and organisations, the cause of the illness remains unknown.
The state health department teams are conducting door-to-door surveillance in Badhal village, and the medical teams present in the district are monitoring the situation closely. The Medical experts have advised residents not to panic.
Another resident Ghulam Hussain, said, "The civil administration has been with us for over 40-45 days, and now the army has joined in to support us. They're providing us with food supplies and everything we need. Everyone, including the district administration, police, and others, is cooperating with us on a large scale. However, despite the efforts, the situation remains unresolved. We need an investigation to determine the cause of this issue, which has severely affected three families and created fear among children."
Mohammed Nahfeez also said, "The Army arrived yesterday (Saturday), set up tents, and provided us with food supplies. The deputy chief minister also visited us, offering support and reassurance that there's no need to fear."
Mohammed Iqbal said, "The Army is providing us with tremendous support. They're doing a great job in helping us."
The Jammu and Kashmir government has also taken steps to address the situation, with deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary visiting the affected area and announcing ex-gratia compensation for the victims' families. The police are investigating the cause of the deaths.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "This is very unfortunate, not just for Budhal but for the entire J-K and country, youths and young children have died...CM himself was monitoring this incident...govt has given ex-gratia (to the victims' families)...the administration is inspecting the ration that is being given to them. Police are investigating to find out how these deaths happened.."
Dilmir Choudhary, ADC Kotranka on Saturday said, "Since December, we have been active. Health teams are going home. Surveillance is going on. We are coming here daily to monitor. The doctor's team was available the day before the incident. They are still available....people don't have to be afraid of this disease."
The cause of the illness remains unidentified, despite extensive efforts by medical experts and organizations such as PGIMER Chandigarh, the National Institute of Virology, and the National Centre for Disease Control.
The medical teams present in the district are also monitoring the situation of the illness. The Medical experts have asked residents not to panic.
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