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A mysterious disease in Khanpur village of Kaithal district led to sudden death of nearly 25 buffalos in past 24 hours, plunging the villagers into mourning.

A team of doctors rushed to the village after reports of the disease, which is killing one cattle almost every hour, since Friday evening, but have so far failed to identify the disease or the cause of so many deaths.

The disease was noticed on Friday evening after when buffaloes started falling to the ground following which villagers consulted a veterinary assistant in the village. But even after treatment there was no improvement and buffalos started dying by late night on Friday. Villagers informed that the buffalos stopped taking fodder or hay initially and then laid on the floor. Ram Pal Singh, a farmer, informed that he had brought his buffalo home from the village pond along with many other villagers. The symptoms started soon after returning home.

Deputy director, agriculture, Madan Lal, informed media on Saturday that preliminary reports indicated that the cattle had died of poisoning. "It is possible that the cattle fed on some poisonous hay or water in the pond which could have some poisonous content. A team of veterinary doctors has rushed to the village and has started treating the ailing buffalos. We have instructed the villagers not to feed their cattle hay or water from the pond," the official informed.