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8m ago

Cough Syrup Deaths in India Rise to 21 as States Ban Coldrif and Police Hunt Manufacturer

Tests found extreme diethylene glycol contamination in a Tamil Nadu-made batch, triggering state bans, criminal probes, WHO questions on possible exports.

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Nilesh Suryavanshi, 32, the father of a 3 year old child who has been admitted at the Government Medical College, holds a bottle of Coldrif cough syrup, which has been linked to the deaths of 17 children, in Nagpur, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Coldrif Cough Syrup Death, Cough Syrup Death, Cough Syrup
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Overview

  • Authorities confirmed 21 child deaths linked to Coldrif, with fatalities now beyond Chhindwara to Betul and Pandhurna, and five children still critical in Nagpur hospitals.
  • Official lab reports in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh detected about 48.6% diethylene glycol in batch SR-13, far above the 0.1% impurity limit set for pharmaceutical syrups.
  • Bans and seizures expanded across multiple states including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry, with Maharashtra restricting batch SR-13.
  • Two additional syrups, Relife and Respifresh TR, were flagged for diethylene glycol above limits, prompting seizures and fresh alerts in states such as Gujarat and Telangana.
  • An SIT registered a case against Sresan Pharmaceuticals as police searched the Kancheepuram unit, the owner remained untraceable, a prescribing paediatrician was arrested, several officials were suspended, and the WHO sought details on any exports before a possible global alert.