Cough syrup deaths: toll in MP's Chhindwara rises to 16 as 2 more kids die

Two more children from Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara who were undergoing treatment for kidney failure after drinking a contaminated cough syrup have died, taking the number of such deaths in the district to 16, an official said on Tuesday.

"Today, the death of another girl was reported. So far, 16 children have died in the district," said Chhindwara Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh.

Earlier, the state government had confirmed the deaths of 14 children from Chhindwara who had allegedly consumed the cough syrup Coldrif, samples of which were found to have toxic contents.

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.

Two-and-half-year-old Dhani Deharia, a resident of Bhariyadhana village in Tamia block, had died on Monday 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.

A state government official in Bhopal had earlier stated that nine children from Madhya Pradesh were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Nagpur, seven of them from Chhindwara and two from Betul.

Before the deaths of Jayusha Yaduvanshi and Dhani Daharia, the state government had confirmed the deaths of 14 children in Chhindwara.

On Monday, the state government suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and transferred the state's drug controller amid an investigation.

Chhindwara-based Dr Praveen Soni was arrested for alleged negligence, while a case has been filed against the company that manufactured the Coldrif cough syrup.

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.