Villagers, who have been housed in one of the isolation facilities following the death of 17 people due to an unexplained illness in Badhaal village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, on Thursday held protest demanding they be allowed to return to their hamlet.

The protesters said while 17 people from their village have lost their lives, authorities are yet to determine the cause of these deaths. Instead, hundreds of villagers have been placed in isolation facilities. They further expressed concern over their livestock and household belongings left behind, stating their animals were on the verge of death due to a lack of care.