Bhopal, June 3 : A mysterious creature launched a sudden and ferocious attack upon eighteen villagers of Limbai, a tribal settlement in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, on the night of May 5, and though the victims received immediate medical attention and were duly vaccinated against rabies, six of them have succumbed so far.

Despite the efforts of healthcare professionals, some of the victims succumbed to their injuries in Barwani, 350 km from the state capital Bhopal, while the others later died at Maharaja Yashwant Rao (MY) Hospital, Indore.

As their conditions worsened on Saturday, several individuals, including Chain Singh, 50, Sunil Nigwal, 40, Manju, Vijay, 15, all from Limbai in Rajpur sub-division, along with Kalu, 35, and Ram Singh, 48, residents of San village, were urgently referred to the MY Hospital..

Despite receiving medical care, Chain Singh passed away in the Indore hospital on Sunday.

That same day, Nigwal's family transferred him from MY Hospital to their village, Limbai, only for his health to deteriorate further. On Monday, he was rushed to Barwani Hospital, where he, too, succumbed.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Barwani, Bhupendra Rawat, told IANS that eighteen villagers had fallen victim to the unidentified beast's attack while sleeping beneath the open sky, seeking relief from the summer's relentless heat.

The animal struck all of them in a single night, targeting even their faces. Though rabies vaccinations were promptly administered and proper protocols followed, six individuals tragically died. Curiously, none exhibited hallmark symptoms of rabies, such as hydrophobia, leaving medical experts baffled.

"It must be a jackal or fox," the SDM opined.

The identity of the animal assailant remains an enigma, leaving the medical fraternity in Indore in a fix.

Surviving patients reported that victims hailed from Talwara, Menimata, Solyapura, Limbai, Ojhar, Kakariya, Davana, and Sangaon villages. Meanwhile, two additional patients were retrieved from MY Hospital by their families.

By Monday, Muralidhar, 65, and Dagdu, 75, were also admitted to MY Hospital, bearing wounds on their hands, legs, and faces. "At present, two patients remain under close supervision at MY Hospital, Indore. However, they hail from Sendhwa rather than Limbai. They are asymptomatic and stable, displaying no signs of hydrophobia or any other rabies-related symptoms," the hospital's Deputy Superintendent, Dr Jitendra Verma, told IANS.

"We are unable to ascertain whether the attack was carried out by a dog, fox or a jackal," he added, noting that the National Communicable Disease Control authorities have been informed.

According to the victims, they had been peacefully asleep when the unknown predator struck, biting them before vanishing into the darkness. None could identify the creature responsible, making efforts to determine its species from the bite marks exceedingly difficult. Despite their uncertainty, all have been vaccinated.

Outrage erupted among villagers on Monday, culminating in a road blockade on the state highway. Angered by forest officials' refusal to hunt down the elusive beast, their frustration spilt out onto the streets. However, tensions eased as a post on an unverified X handle belonging to the Barwani District Collector said that Collector Guncha Sanobar personally visited Limbai, extended her sympathies to the injured and bereaved families, gathered crucial information from the villagers, and assured them that the government would extend all possible assistance in the wake of the distressing incident.

The Collector remained unavailable for comment.

/IANS