Bizarre Sleeping Disease Plagues Small Village in Kazakhstan

Over 120 residents in Kazakhstan's Kalachi village have been diagnosed with a strange sleeping sickness where people suddenly fall into a coma-like sleep without warning.

The residents then don't wake up for days and when they do, experience severe medical symptoms, the likes of which include memory loss, dizziness, blinding headaches and nausea. 

The sleep inducing malady has so far affected over one fourth of the village population with many residents experiencing repeated attacks.

The government of Kazakhstan combined with the help of scientists have been scrambling to find the reason behind the illness. While they are pursuing some strong leads, doubts still persist over the cause of the illness.

Scientists suspect it could be either carbon monoxide or radon poisoning both of which are known to cause these symptoms. Tests have further revealed high presence of both chemicals in the village but officials have now ruled them out as the cause.

Russian scientists have another theory. They believe the illness is being caused due to the village's close proximity to an old soviet uranium mine.

Professor Leonid Rikhvanov from the Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia told Newsweek. "In my opinion, a gas factor is at work here. Radon could be operating as a narcotic substance or an anaesthetic. Currently, the underground space of the mine is flooded and gases are being squeezed to the surface."

The theory yet remains to be proven and the officials are taking the steps to relocate the residents away from the danger zone. While over 100 residents have willingly accepted to relocate, there are many residents who have refused to move.

According to one resident, "They say it affects the brain; they say it gives people headaches, but our headache now is where we're being resettled."