17 people have died from a mysterious illness in the remote village of Badhal, leaving its residents stricken with grief and anxiety.
It all started on December 7, 2024, when a family of six became ill after attending a wedding party.
The family, including four children, developed severe abdominal pain, drowsiness and vomiting. Within days, five of the six family members had died.
Initially, it was believed the family got severe food poisoning after eating contaminated food at the wedding. Days after their deaths, however, another family in Badhal became sick; they did not attend the wedding.

Mohammed Rafiq said his children ‘had only gone to school’ but two of them became ill with a high fever. He immediately gave them medicine, which seemed to help.
By the next day, however, things had turned for the worse. One of his children eventually passed away at home while two others were rushed to the hospital. Despite their best efforts, one died on the way there and the other died six days later.
Eventually, his wife, who had been taking care of the children, also became sick. According to Rafiq, the doctors ‘didn’t take her condition seriously’ and tragically, she also died.

Rafiq and his surviving children are among 200 people who have interacted with those who were sick. They have since relocated to a quarantine center in Rajouri, approximately 37 miles from Badhal.
However, he fears for his remaining famly members.
A month after the two families’ losses, a third family lost six of their children after they developed similar symptoms. Two of their relatives also succumbed to the mysterious illness later that week.
Suspected Organophosphorus Poisoning
Officials have tested more than 100 potential sources of illness and have also taken blood samples from the affected individuals. However, they failed to identify any bacterial or viral infection.
Tests did, however, reveal trace amounts of insecticides and pesticides in the village’s only water source. Authorities subsequently declared the village a containment zone and set up checkpoints on the streets in and out of the area.

People are being confined to their homes and all gatherings are banned. Officials are also supplying residents with food and bottled water.
According to Dr. Amarjeet Bhatia, organophosphorus likely caused the ‘mystery’ deaths as it was found in all of the blood samples taken from the deceased. They have since given patients atropine injections, which is typically used to treat organophosphorus poisoning, with success.
While they are still waiting on official reports from laboratories, the trial-and-error approach is currently working well.
In the meantime, Badhal residents can’t help but feel anxious and helpless. Some have also criticised the government’s response, claiming ‘it’s making life unbearable [for them]’.