Officials in a tizzy as 'mysterious illness' claims two more lives in Rajouri, toll 12

HEALTH EXPERTS FROM NIV, PUNE, ICMR, PGI, CHANDIGARH, HAD VISITED BADHAL VILLAGE AND TAKEN SAMPLES

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Two more deaths on Monday due to a "mysterious illness" in a Rajouri village has set the alarm bells ringing in the Jammu and Kashmir health department officials.

An 8-year-old boy and a 62-year-old man succumbed to the "mysterious illness" that also claimed the lives of two minors a day ago on Sunday.

The Badhal village under Kotranka sub-division has been grappling with a "mysterious disease" that have claimed 12 lives since December 7 last year.

Six siblings from the village in Rajouri district were taken to community health centre at Kotranka on Saturday evening, where two of them a 5-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy died on Sunday and one of them succumbed to illness on Monday morning during treatment at SMGS Hospital here.

The 62-year-old deceased identified as Mohammad Yousuf is also related to one of three families and died due to similar symptoms on Monday evening.

The three other siblings, aged 16, 12 and 10 are still under treatment.