Mysterious deaths in Rajouri village
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 14: The situation in Rajouri district, where seven persons from two families died mysteriously in a remote village, is under control, and there is no cause for panic while special teams of experts from three premier health institutions have been deployed to assist in the investigation.
This information was shared by Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Principal GMC Jammu, while addressing media persons in the committee room of the College today. He said the tragic deaths occurred in Budhal village in Kotranka in two separate incidents on December 8 and 12. The deceased include a man and his four children, along with two siblings from another family.
“Our preliminary investigation points to a viral infection, but more work is needed to confirm the cause of the deaths,” said Dr Gupta. He added that teams from the National Institute of Virology (Pune), PGI Chandigarh and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi have arrived to assist in the probe.
Dr Gupta assured the public that “things are totally under control” and emphasized there is no need to panic. “A combined team of experts has been formed to carry forward the investigation to determine the exact cause of these deaths. So far, no other case has come to light,” he said. Click here to watch video
Health department teams have been camping in the village for the past two days, screening the entire population of over 1,800 residents for any abnormal symptoms such as fever, body aches, or drowsiness. However, no additional patients have been found with similar symptoms.
“Even if there is an epidemic, it is well under control,” Dr Gupta reiterated, asking people to remain calm. He further informed that a woman, who lost her husband and children after attending a marriage party, is receiving treatment at GMC Jammu and is in stable condition. Meanwhile, two other individuals are under treatment at GMC Rajouri and they are also doing well.
Dr Gupta said investigators are still working to determine whether the deaths were caused by a virus outbreak or toxins. Some more time is required to reach a conclusion, he emphasized.
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