National

Experts Unable to Determine Cause of 17 Unexplained Deaths in Rajouri, J&K

Published

1 year ago

February 7, 2025

National-level laboratories and various health institutions have yet to determine the cause of the mysterious illness that has resulted in 17 fatalities, including 13 children, in Badhaal village, Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir.

The initial death was reported on December 7, and among the 55 affected individuals, 38 have since recovered and been discharged. Fortunately, no new cases have emerged in the past two weeks.

The village remains under lockdown, and authorities have quarantined 363 residents from 60 families. Additionally, officials from the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments are overseeing the care of 592 animals to ensure their protection.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo convened a meeting today with representatives from the Health and Police Departments, alongside officials from distinguished national institutions, to review the efforts underway to protect lives in the area and identify the underlying causes of these deaths. Key attendees included the Principal Secretary for Home Affairs, the Health Secretary, the Additional Director General of Police for Criminal Investigation, the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, and various local health experts.

The meeting also included esteemed figures such as the Directors of AIIMS, PGIMER in Chandigarh, ICMR, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research in Lucknow, CFSL, and experts from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and DRD Gwalior, among others, who are analyzing samples provided by the Health Department.

During the meeting, Dulloo stressed the importance of not relaxing safety measures and recommended testing samples of local fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides to trace the root cause of these fatalities. He also urged for the enhancement of local hospital facilities, ensuring they are equipped to manage similar situations in the future.

He ordered an evaluation of healthcare resources to identify the need for additional ICU beds, oxygen plants, isolation wards, and necessary medications, as well as specialist staffing. Furthermore, he reached out to AIIMS, New Delhi, asking for assistance in training local medical personnel to better handle such crises. He suggested sending doctors for specialized training and inviting experts to bolster local medical capacities.

Doloo also consulted health specialists from various national institutions for their recommendations on the next steps, while instructing law enforcement agencies to expedite their investigations based on the test results received and pending.

Secretary of Health, Dr. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, confirmed that there are currently no hospital admissions, as patients had been assessed by medical teams from PGIMER and AIIMS. The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu assured that measures are in place to prevent the exchange of food between families who have been relocated and are under constant observation.

Amidst the ongoing crisis, a total of 529 samples of insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers have been collected across Rajouri District as part of the investigation.

A total of 257 shops were designated for sampling, including 60 selling insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides, and a further 194 selling fertilizers. Out of these, 254 shops underwent thorough sample collection, resulting in 529 total samples—293 of insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides, and 236 of fertilizers. These samples will be sent for testing, with the results expected to be significant in the investigation concerning Badhaal village.

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.