Rajouri deaths: 300 villagers quarantined in 3 govt facilities

46 kin of affected families under special observation; another girl with symptoms of similar illness hospitalised in GMC

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Baffled by the 16 deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri district, the Jammu and Kashmir government has quarantined nearly 300 villagers at a government nursing college, a government higher secondary school and the Government Medical College (GMC) in the district.

Deputy commissioner Abhishek Sharma said, "Over 250 people from Badhaal village have been shifted to government nursing college and government higher secondary school in Rajouri where they are being provided food and water under the surveillance of health officials. More are being brought to the two centres."

After tests by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, found some neurotoxins, especially aldicarb and cadmium, in the samples of those affected with the illness, the government has initiated these measures to break the food chain, said a senior health official. The two neurotoxins attack the central nervous system.