Fear grips remote Kashmir village after mystery illness kills 17 people from three families

A mysterious illness has devastated three families in a remote Indian village in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 17 people in just over a month.

The deaths, all occurring in the Budhal village in Rajouri district, have left the local community paralysed with fear as experts raced to investigate the cause.

On Sunday, Yasmeen Kousar, 16, succumbed to the illness at a hospital in Jammu. Kousar was the last surviving child of Mohammad Aslam, who had already lost five of his children and two other relatives last week.

The fatalities were concentrated within three interrelated families, with nine members of two families having died between 7 and 12 December.

Budhal, a remote village with a predominantly Scheduled Tribe population – one of India’s most disadvantaged groups – is now a place of mourning and fear. The victims have been buried in two rows across two graveyards – a grim reminder of the tragedy that unfolded. Community gatherings have ceased, and many residents have refused to consume food prepared outside their homes.

Federal home minister Amit Shah dispatched a high-level inter-ministerial team to investigate the situation. The team, composed of experts from the ministries of health, agriculture, chemicals, and water resources, arrived in Rajouri on Sunday evening and is investigating the cause.

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating: “The health department and other agencies have probed the deaths, but the exact cause has not been determined yet. The Home Minister’s team will work with local authorities to provide relief and uncover the truth.”

He also confirmed that police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to explore other angles, including the possibility of foul play.

The illness, which initially presented with fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and episodic loss of consciousness, claimed its first victim on 7 December.

Fazal Hussain, a resident of Budhal, fell ill after attending a community meal during his daughter’s wedding. Within days, four more family members, including children aged 5 to 14, also perished. The second wave of deaths occurred on 12 December, when three children from Mohammad Rafiq’s family died. The third cluster, involving Mohammad Aslam’s family, began on 12 January and culminated with Yasmeen’s death.

The medical teams have screened over 3,000 individuals in the area but they did not find a trace of any communicable disease from bacteria or virus that lead to the deaths, reported the Hindu Businessline.

Over 12,500 samples, including blood, food, and environmental specimens, have been collected and tested by leading national health agencies. Preliminary findings indicate the presence of neurotoxins, but the exact toxin and its source remain unidentified, reported The Print, citing sources.

Investigators suspect contaminated food or water may have been the delivery mechanism. Water samples from the village spring tested positive for pesticides or insecticides, prompting authorities to seal and sanitise the area and relocate affected families to isolated shelters.

“Despite extensive testing and surveillance, we are still in the dark about what is killing these people,” said Jammu and Kashmir health minister Sakina Itoo. “We have ruled out bacterial and viral infections, but this only deepens the mystery,” Ms Itoo said.

Experts from institutions such as the National Institute of Virology, the National Centre for Disease Control, and PGIMER Chandigarh have been roped in to expedite the investigation.

Local residents are gripped by fear and frustration as the deaths have disrupted their daily life. Nasir Ahmed, a villager, voiced the community’s concerns: “How can this be a virus when only three families are affected? If it were a disease, it would have spread to others. We’re terrified to eat or drink anything.”

The recurring pattern of deaths following community meals has fuelled speculation about intentional poisoning. While the SIT is interrogating suspects and collecting evidence, no arrests have been made so far.