India probes possible cough syrup link to deaths of nine childrenIndian authorities said on Saturday they are investigating if contaminated cough syrup caused the deaths of nine children in a central state after a batch of the medication was found to contain dangerous levels of a toxic chemical. The Health Ministry said samples of Coldrif Cough Syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, were tested by state authorities and found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG) exceeding permissible limits. "The samples are found to contain DEG beyond the permissible limit," the ministry said in a statement. The statement comes after media reports suggested that recent deaths of nine children in the central state of Madhya Pradesh could have been linked to cough syrup consumption. India has faced scrutiny over the quality of its pharmaceutical exports after the World Health Organisation linked cough syrups made by another company to the deaths of 70 children in Gambia in 2022 — a finding that New Delhi later disputed.

Source: bd News24 October 04, 2025 12:32 UTC