In Palamu district’s Sikka village under Padwa block in Jharkhand, one more person died during treatment at RIMS, taking the death toll in the same family to five over the past ten days due to a mysterious illness.

Other family members remain admitted to RIMS, while a joint team of the Health Department, police and medical experts is investigating the cause of the deaths. Preliminary findings indicate that the family relied on traditional faith healing instead of medical treatment and had reportedly been consuming a type of ash for a prolonged period.

Health officials have collected samples of the ash and other materials for testing, while preserved viscera from the post-mortem examinations will be sent for forensic analysis. Officials said the exact cause of the deaths will be known only after the investigation and laboratory reports are completed.