J&K govt declares Badhaal village containment zone amid unexplained deaths
The move comes despite no viral or bacterial aetiology being detected in the 16 deaths linked to a mysterious illness since December 7, 2024
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday declared Badhaal village a containment zone, despite no viral or bacterial aetiology (discovery of the causative agent of a disease) being detected in the 16 deaths linked to a mysterious illness since December 7, 2024.

The government has imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the village, located around 55 kms from Rajouri district headquarters. Section 163 grants the district magistrate authority to issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger.
“Badhaal has been declared a containment zone. Section 163 of BNSS (earlier Section 144 CrPC) has been imposed in Badhaal by the district magistrate. The houses of affected families have been sealed,” said an official.
The entire area has been divided into three zones, and all public and private gatherings have been prohibited. “Designated officers will monitor all meals provided to the families in containment zones,” he further shared.
So far, investigations have ruled out any communicable disease of bacterial or viral origin, indicating no public heath threat.
However, toxicological analysis conducted by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, has detected toxins in multiple biological specimens. In response, police had set up a 10-member special investigation team (SIT) for a probe causes of the disease that has claimed the lives of 16 members of three related families.
The symptoms of the illness include fever, pain, nausea and loss of consciousness before death.
Chief secretary leads review meeting
On Tuesday night, chief secretary Atal Dulloo held a meeting of divisional and district administrations, along with health experts and police, to assess the measures taken so far to identify the real causes behind the mysterious deaths.
Besides the health & medical education secretary, the meeting was attended by Jammu ADGP, Jammu divisional commissioner; Rajouri-Poonch Range DIG, Rajouri DC, Rajouri SP, Jammu Government and Medical College (GMC) principal; Rajouri GMC principal, Jammu health services director and some experts from national health institutions.
Health dept, police told to collaborate with admn for probe
During the meeting, the chief secretary stressed on the need for stringent containment measures, and instructed the police and health department to collaborate with the divisional administration to prevent further loss of life.
He also advised the two departments to frame a proper standard operating procedure (SOP) for monitoring the population of the affected village.
“Only tested and safe edibles and non-edibles should be used in quarantine,” he stressed, adding investigations should continue as per the set procedures until the actual causes of these deaths were determined.
He also urged local authorities to study reports from national diagnostic institutions that had collected samples from the village, and also ensure all possible measures were taken to protect the villagers’ lives until the toxicology reports provided clarity.
Health and medical education secretary Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah reported that every measure had been taken to isolate the families, and provide them only tested food and water.
He confirmed that health teams were maintaining surveillance for any symptoms appearing in any person. Besides, local health centres were on standby and no eatables were being exchanged between the families in quarantine.
Notably, experts from National Institute of Virology, Pune; National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi; National Institute of Toxicology and Research, Lucknow; Defence Research Development Establishment, Gwalior; microbiology department of PGIMER, Chandigarh, ICMR-Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory and GMC, Jammu, have already been roped in to identify the cause of the unexplained disease.
