Srinagar, Jan 27: Organophosphorus poisoning is likely behind 17 “mystery” deaths that occurred in the Badhaal village of Rajouri, officials said on Monday.
A top doctor told a local news agency that they have administered an antidote – atropine injection – to patients who are admitted to the hospital and it worked well.
Atropine injection is used to treat poisoning caused by organophosphorus nerve agents, including organophosphorus or carbamate insecticides.
He said that an official report from top laboratories is yet to come. “We have used the hit and trial method, it worked well. We administered atropine to two patients for other purposes to increase the heart rate, they survived and are recovering well,” he said.
He added that as atropine has shown positive results organophosphorus or related salts could likely be the reason behind the wave of deaths in Rajouri village.
The doctor, however, said that official reports are yet to come, and concluding that organophosphorus is behind these deaths would be wrong at this stage.
At least 17 people, including 14 children, have died, while several have been admitted to hospital due to “mysterious” illness in the Badhaal village over the past two months.
The district administration in Rajouri has declared the Badhal area a containment zone and prohibited all gatherings in the region.
According to an order issued by the District Magistrate of Rajouri, designated officials will oversee and monitor all meals provided to families within the containment zone.
The order states: “All families where deaths have occurred shall be declared as Containment Zone 1. The houses of these affected families will be sealed, and entry will be strictly prohibited for all individuals, including family members unless authorized by designated officials. All families identified as close contacts of affected individuals shall be declared as Containment Zone 2. Individuals from these families must be immediately shifted to GMC Rajouri for continuous health monitoring.”
To enforce compliance, the order specifies: “Police personnel will be stationed to monitor the consumption of replaced food items under observation. Designated officers will maintain a logbook recording every instance of food distribution and consumption. Entries in the logbook will be made three times daily and signed by the monitoring officer for accountability.”
Furthermore, the order strictly prohibits all public and private gatherings within the jurisdiction of these containment zones to prevent further spread of the infection.
Designated officials will ensure proper monitoring and accountability for all meals provided to families in these zones.