Handwara, October 9: Around 15 to 20 residents, including men and women, of Reshawari Kandi village in Handwara subdivision of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district reportedly suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea on Friday night, raising concerns over the possible contamination of drinking water.
According to an official who spoke to HEADLINES TODAY over the phone on Friday morning, several residents developed symptoms during the night, while more people were subsequently reported to be affected.
“Till the last report, 10 patients, including six females and four males, had been admitted to District Hospital Handwara for treatment. The remaining affected residents were being brought to the hospital, and the Sub-Divisional Administration was arranging vehicles to facilitate their transportation. All the admitted patients were stable,” the official said.
The official added that, according to preliminary information shared by locals, the consumption of contaminated drinking water was suspected to be the cause of the illness. However, the actual cause would be established only after the water samples were tested and the matter examined thoroughly.
Meanwhile, speaking to HEADLINES TODAY, the Chief Medical Officer concerned at District Hospital Handwara said that the hospital had received several patients and that medical teams were working to provide immediate treatment.
He said medical teams were also being dispatched to the affected village to provide on-the-spot medical assistance and evacuate patients requiring urgent hospital care.
The health authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine the actual cause of the outbreak. Officials said their immediate priority was to ensure prompt treatment for all affected residents, adding that further details would be shared once verified information became available.
The incident has raised concerns among residents regarding the safety of drinking water in the village. Water testing and further investigation are expected to help establish whether contaminated water was responsible for the reported illnesses.
Further details are awaited from the concerned health authorities.
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