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New Delhi: At least 10 scientists connected to sensitive US nuclear and aerospace research have died or disappeared in recent years, CNN has reported.

These include a nuclear physicist and MIT professor fatally shot outside his Massachusetts house, a retired Air Force general reported missing from his New Mexico residence, and an aerospace engineer who vanished while hiking in Los Angeles.

These cases have sparked concerns if all of them are linked and triggered speculation online about the possibility of some nefarious design, the report added.

What the FBI said

The FBI has said that it “is spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists”. The FBI has added that it “is working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state … and local law enforcement partners to find answers”.

On Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News: “We’re going to look for connections … on whether there are connections to classified access, access to classified information, and or foreign actors. If there’s any connections that lead to nefarious conduct or conspiracy, the FBI will make the appropriate arrest.”

On Monday, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee said that it will probe reports of the deaths and disappearances of the persons, whom it noted had access to sensitive scientific information.

In its statement, the committee said the reports “raise questions about a possible sinister connection” between the deaths and disappearances. It sought briefings on the issue from the FBI, the Defense Department, the Department of Energy and NASA.

The Defense Department said it would directly reply to the committee, while the Department of Energy directed the questions to the White House, the CNN report said.

Taking to X, NASA said it was “coordinating and cooperating with the relevant agencies” in regard to the scientists. “At this time, nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens pointed out.

What the White House said

Last week, the White House said it was also working with federal agencies to investigate any possible connection between these cases, with President Donald Trump calling the matter as “pretty serious stuff”.

Trump said he hoped that the disappearances and deaths are just a coincidence. “I hope it is random, but we are going to know in the next week and a half,” Trump said on Thursday. He added that he had a recent meeting on the subject.

In a statement on X on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: The White House is “actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist.”

House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican, was quoted by Fox News as saying: “It’s very unlikely that this is a coincidence. “Congress is very concerned about this. Our committee is making this one of our priorities now because we view this as a national security threat.”

Rep. James Walkinshaw, a Democrat who is on the Oversight Committee, has agreed that a probe into the deaths and disappearances is warranted. However, he added that he was not convinced there is a coordinated aim behind the cases.