'Who else could be as unfortunate as me': Man loses six kids to mystery illness in J&K's Rajouri village

Srinagar: What was once a lively home of Muhammad Aslam and his wife Shakia Bi, filled with the laughter and joy of children in Badhaal village of border Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, has turned into a sorrowful reminder of loss and grief.

Seventeen persons belonging to three families linked to each other, including Aslam’s, have died under mysterious circumstances in the village between December 7 and January 19

The dead include six children of Aslam. The mysterious deaths have not only left the family of Aslam in a state of shock and devastation, but whole village has been under awe.

Aslam and his wife Shakia Bi are the sole survivors in their household, left to pick up the pieces of their shattered world.

As the families are in a shock DH contacted them through a local journalist Sumit Barghav for a quote. “Who else could be so unfortunate than me who lost all six children, an uncle and aunt who were like my parents and staying with me in the house,” Aslam said.

At a loss of words, he paused with a hope that the truth behind those deaths would be out soon. “I only pray to Almighty Allah to bring out the truth,” he said.

Their home, once alive with the playful antics of children, now echoes with silence, a stark contrast to the warmth and joy it once held.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear, with local as well as national health authorities, including National Centre for Disease Control,  yet to pinpoint the cause of the deaths.

Barghav, who has covered the incidents since December 7, said there are unanswered questions at this stage. “Even the expert health teams which have arrived in recent days from New Delhi and Chandigarh are yet to reach to any conclusion,” he told DH.

“The speed and severity of the deaths have raised concerns among the local community, with many fearing that the disease could be contagious. However, the deaths so far have occurred only within three families in the village which has about 1500 population” Barghav added.

Six deceased children of Aslam include Yasmeen Kouser (15), Zahoor Ahmed (14), Nabeena Kouser (8), Maroof Ahmed (10), Safina Kouser (11) and Zabina Kouser (7).

On Tuesday the administration officially designated Badhal area as a containment zone, imposing a ban on all gatherings in the region. The order also mandates strict surveillance of food consumption.

Earlier on January 20, the authorities sealed the house of Aslam after experts, accompanying a high-level inter-ministerial team of the Ministry of Home Affairs, collected samples from the premises.

A water spring-cum-well (Bowli) located near the residence of Muhammad Rafiq, who lost four members of his family to unexplained disease was also sealed. The decision to seal the well comes after water samples tested positive for traces of insecticide.

Additional District Magistrate Dil Mir said they were dealing with a “different situation” in the village and every precautionary step is being taken.