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Budhal deaths: Omar directs Health, Police Departments to expedite investigations

Sharing his concern over unexplained nature of deaths, the Chief Minister reiterated the commitment of the government to identify the root cause at the earliest
01:20 AM Jan 18, 2025 IST | GK NEWS SERVICE
budhal deaths  omar directs health  police departments to expedite investigations
CM Omar directs Health, Police Departments to expedite investigations___Gk photo
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Jammu, Jan 17: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday directed the Health and Police departments to expedite their investigations in case of mysterious deaths in Budhal village of Rajouri district, keeping in view the urgency of the situation.

Sharing his concern over unexplained nature of deaths, the Chief Minister reiterated the commitment of the government to identify the root cause at the earliest.

To achieve this objective, he instructed all concerned departments to collaborate with unflinching determination to resolve this disturbing issue.

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Directions were issued by the Chief Minister while chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the alarming situation in Budhal village of Rajouri district, where mysterious deaths have claimed 16 lives, with one more victim succumbing to an unexplained illness.

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“The unexplained nature of these deaths is deeply concerning and the government is committed to ensuring that the root cause is identified at the earliest. I urge all departments to collaborate and leave no stone unturned in resolving this issue,” CM Omar stated.

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The meeting was attended by Minister of Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo; Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, Dheeraj Gupta; ADGP Jammu, Anand Jain; Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; Secretary Health and Medical Education (H&ME), Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, and other senior medical and police officers.

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Expressing his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister reassured the public that the administration was treating the situation with the highest priority.

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“The health and safety of our citizens remain our top priority. The government is fully committed to resolving this crisis and ensuring justice for the affected families,” he added.

Earlier, Secretary Health and Medical Education, briefed the Chief Minister on the steps taken so far.

He reported that health department teams had conducted door-to-door surveys of over 3,000 residents in the affected area, collecting and testing samples of water, food, and other materials.

He informed that all test results, including those for influenza and other possible contaminants, were negative.

The meeting was informed that additional testing was carried out by premier national institutes, including ICMR, National Institute of Virology, National Centre for Disease Control, CSIR, DRDO, and PGIMER Chandigarh, but no definite cause for the deaths was identified.

Police officials informed the meeting that investigations were underway to determine the root cause of the fatalities, which were limited to three families residing within 1.5 kilometers of each other.

It was also emphasised during the meeting that the health department maintained an active presence in the area over the past 40 days, providing ambulances, medicines, and essential facilities to address any emergencies.