In Jammu and Kashmir, at least thirty-five villagers were hospitalised yesterday after falling ill due to a mysterious illness in the frontier district of Rajouri, prompting the health department to collect water samples and seal the local water sources.
They are from Kotliparran village in Manjakot tehsil. The symptoms included stomach pain, fever, dehydration, and diarrhoea. The incident follows a mysterious illness that claimed 17 lives from three families at Badhaal area in Koteranka sub-division in the same district between December 7, 2024, and January 19 this year.
All the patients are stable, and four of them have been referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) in Rajouri. A team from the health department has visited the village, collected water samples, and sent them for testing.
The patients exhibited symptoms of waterborne disease, prompting immediate medical attention. While investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the illness, health officials suspect contaminated drinking water.
A team from GMC Rajouri collected water samples from three local wells. The district administration has sealed the wells pending test results. Health officials are closely monitoring the situation after assuring the public that appropriate measures are being taken to ensure public safety.