Health teams intensify efforts to probe 7 deaths due to food poisoning in Rajouri

JAMMU: Asking people not to panic after the mysterious deaths of seven persons belonging to two families, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Friday said they are closely monitoring the situation as health teams intensified their efforts as part of an in-depth survey in the remote area.

Seven persons – a father and his four children and two other siblings – have died in Badhaal village in Kotranka since Sunday apparently due to food poisoning.

Rajouri Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma, accompanied by medical teams, made his second consecutive visit to the remote village on Friday to oversee the investigation into the death cases reported in two families, officials said.

Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Sikarwar also visited the village to assess the situation and ensure coordinated action, they said.

They interacted with the locals and reiterated the administration’s commitment to addressing their concerns, the officials said.

The district administration is making every possible effort to determine the cause of the tragic deaths, they said.

The deputy commissioner interacted with the affected families and local residents during his visit to provide moral support and raise awareness about preventive health measures, the officials said.

He assured the villagers that the administration stands with them in this challenging time.

Initially, the first incident on Sunday was suspected to be a case of food poisoning. However, following a second mysterious death in the village on Thursday, the deputy commissioner deployed specialized health teams to collect food and water samples and conduct an in-depth survey of the area.

Five teams of the health department under the close supervision of Rajouri Chief Medical Officer Manohar Rana are actively collecting the samples of food and water, the officials said.

These samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and a drugs laboratory for comprehensive analysis to ascertain the exact cause of the deaths, they said.

The officials said more health teams deployed from Government Medical College Jammu, Directorate of Health Services and State Epidemiology Unit are working jointly in the affected village to address the situation comprehensively and provide immediate relief.

The district administration has also activated field functionaries from various departments to conduct awareness drives and provide necessary assistance to the villagers, they said.

These efforts include ensuring the availability of safe drinking water, health check-ups and the distribution of essential supplies.

MLA Choudhary praised the prompt and coordinated response by the district administration.

He emphasized the importance of collective efforts to address the situation effectively and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The officials said the district administration assured the villagers that the administration is doing everything possible and there is no need to panic. (PTI)