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The death toll is expected to rise in Chhindwara as another six children remain hospitalised after alleged consumption of the Coldrif cough syrup, with five in critical condition.
The deaths are linked to the consumption of the Coldrif cough syrup, samples of whom have revealed toxic chemicals.
The death toll in connection with the consumption of contaminated cough syrups has risen to 16 in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, after two more children died while undergoing treatment for kidney failure, according to officials.
“Today, the death of another girl was reported. So far, 16 children have died in the district,” Chhindwara Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
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Jayusha Yaduvanshi (2), a resident of Junnardeo in the district, died on Tuesday at a government hospital in Nagpur. Another six children from Chhindwara are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Nagpur, and the condition of five of them remains critical, the additional collector said.
On Monday, Dhani Deharia, 2, a resident of Bhariyadhana village in Tamia block, had died while undergoing treatment at the Nagpur Medical College hospital. Her family members claimed that her health deteriorated after consuming the cold syrup prescribed by the doctor, and her kidneys failed.
The deaths are linked to the consumption of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma, a manufacturer based in Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram district. Three deaths from Rajasthan have also been linked to the consumption of this syrup.
Several states have banned the sale of the ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup. The Madhya Pradesh government has also announced a complete ban on the sale of ‘Relife’ and ‘Respifresh TR’ syrups across the state after they were also found to contain diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that causes kidney failure, neurological problems and even death, particularly among children.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav held a high-level meeting at the CM residence in Bhopal regarding the Chhindwara incident on Monday and ordered the suspension of two drug inspectors, the Deputy Director of Food and Drug Administration, and the transfer of a drug controller, according to an official release.
CM Yadav emphasised that strict action would be taken against all guilty parties in the Chhindwara case. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the deaths and filed a case against the Tamil Nadu-based manufacturer of Coldrif.
(with PTI inputs)
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
Chhindwara, India, India
October 07, 2025, 22:08 IST
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