The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Government on Saturday banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the deaths of 14 children in Chhindwara district due to suspected kidney failure. Officials said laboratory tests revealed the syrup contained 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance
An official looks at bottles of the ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup after a raid by the Drug and Pharmaceuticals Department officials in Madhya Pradesh. PIC/PTI
The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Government on Saturday banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the deaths of 14 children in Chhindwara district due to suspected kidney failure, news agency PTI reported. Officials said laboratory tests revealed the syrup contained 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance.
The syrup sample, tested by the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, was declared “Not of Standard Quality” by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, officials said. The deaths, which began in Parasia subdivision on September 7, included 11 children from Parasia, two from Chhindwara city, and one from Chaurai tehsil. Among the victims were Shivam (9), Vidhi (6), Adnan (6), Usaid (9), Rishika (10), Hetansh (11), Vikas (9), Chanchlesh (8), and Sandhya Bhosom (7).
Two children remain in critical condition at hospitals in Nagpur, while four others are undergoing treatment in Nagpur and Chhindwara, PTI reported. The government has sanctioned Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the children.
Following the test report, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration directed a statewide ban on Coldrif, with immediate seizure of available stock for investigation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Other products manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram—the maker of Coldrif—have also been pulled from sale pending testing. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier banned Coldrif after reports of similar deaths in Rajasthan.
The batch tested (Batch No SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027) contained adulterated syrup with diethylene glycol, a poisonous compound that can be harmful to health, reported PTI. The Union health ministry’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched risk-based inspections at manufacturing units of 19 drugs, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the deaths as “extremely tragic” and assured strict action against those responsible. He confirmed that the sale of Coldrif and other products of the company is banned across Madhya Pradesh.
Samples from affected children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for analysis, while further tests on the syrup’s adulteration and contamination are ongoing. A multi-agency team—including experts from the National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, CDSCO, and AIIMS-Nagpur—is investigating the cause of deaths in and around Chhindwara.
The incident has raised alarm over the safety of pharmaceutical products and prompted authorities to reinforce stricter quality controls to prevent further tragedies.
(With PTI inputs)
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