Rajouri deaths: Badhal village declared as containment zone; houses of affected families sealed

Badhal village in Jammu and Kashmir declared containment zone after mysterious deaths; investigation ongoing, no definitive cause found.

In light of the recent mysterious deaths of 17 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, the Badhal village has been declared as a containment zone as of Wednesday (January 22, 2025). Seventeen persons, including 13 children, belonging to three related families have died under mysterious circumstances here between December 7 and January 19. The houses of affected families will be sealed now.

The entire area is divided into three zones. All public and private gatherings are prohibited, officials said in an order.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the village and assured people that a probe is underway. “The Centre has also deputed a team which is collecting samples and doing their activities. I want to assure all that the joint efforts of civil administration, police and the government of India will find out the answers to all questions about what had happened,” the Chief Minister had said.

As part of precautionary measures, authorities had already barred residents of Badhal village from drawing water from a local spring and cautioned against community feasts. Doctors claim that neurotoxins were causing these deaths but failed to detect any source for it so far. In spite of extensive testing, no definitive cause has been established.