MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA - Over the past month, dozens of children, all under the age of five, died after allegedly consuming contaminated cough syrup.
The children died after consuming cough medicine linked to Tamil Nadu-based company Sreson Pharmaceuticals, according to a report from Reuters. The company's Coldrif syrup contained toxic diethylene glycol (DEG) in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), DEG is a "toxic" substance "used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that can be fatal even taken in small amounts, especially for children."
Following the deaths, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, S. Ranganathan, has since been arrested.
Officials said that at least 20 children have now died from consuming the cough medicine, according to People. On Thursday, October 9, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, Rajendra Shuckla, said, "The state government is very active in taking action in this matter."
"As soon as we came to know about the children's death due to Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceutical company, an immediate case was registered and an SIT (Special Investigation Team) was constituted," Shuckla said. "Yesterday, the owner of the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company was arrested, and he will be brought here on transit remand."
The cough syrup has now been banned in several parts of India after a test confirmed the presence of the DEG chemical on Thursday, October 2. Also, since the owner's arrest, the pharmaceutical company has been permanently shut down.
"The SIT that left from Chhindwara has arrested Sresan Pharma owner Ranganathan. He was rounded up late at night and then arrested. As part of the procedure, his medical examination will be done and other proceedings will be undertaken in Chennai. Then, after, he will be brought to Chhindwara," Chhindwara police superintendent, Ajay Pandey said in a statement.
Seventeen of the victims were from the Chhindwara district, two of the children were from the Betul district, and one was from the Pandhuma district. "Twenty children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul, and Pandhuma districts. The state government is quite strict," Shukla said.
Ranganathan is facing charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, drug adulteration, and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Indian drugmakers are meant to test each batch of raw materials and the final product by law. Since 2023, it's also been required that cough syrup exports have another layer of tests at government-mandated laboratories following the deaths of over 10 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon. Those deaths were previously linked to Indian syrups.
WHO confirmed it had contacted the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) of India on Wednesday, October 1, "for clarification regarding potential links to contaminated medicines and whether the products were exported to other countries. "WHO communicated that it stood ready to support national authorities in investigating and responding to these tragic events," the message read.
"On 8 October 2025, WHO received information from CDSCO that Diethylene Glycol (DEG) had been detected in at least three oral syrup medicines. These medicines were among those consumed by children in the reported cluster of cases," it added.
CDSCO informed WHO that "the products had been recalled and that the identified manufacturers have been ordered to stop production of all medical products. CDSCO also stated that none of the products were exported from India."
The children died after consuming cough medicine linked to Tamil Nadu-based company Sreson Pharmaceuticals, according to a report from Reuters. The company's Coldrif syrup contained toxic diethylene glycol (DEG) in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), DEG is a "toxic" substance "used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that can be fatal even taken in small amounts, especially for children."
Following the deaths, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, S. Ranganathan, has since been arrested.
Officials said that at least 20 children have now died from consuming the cough medicine, according to People. On Thursday, October 9, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, Rajendra Shuckla, said, "The state government is very active in taking action in this matter."
"As soon as we came to know about the children's death due to Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceutical company, an immediate case was registered and an SIT (Special Investigation Team) was constituted," Shuckla said. "Yesterday, the owner of the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company was arrested, and he will be brought here on transit remand."
The cough syrup has now been banned in several parts of India after a test confirmed the presence of the DEG chemical on Thursday, October 2. Also, since the owner's arrest, the pharmaceutical company has been permanently shut down.
"The SIT that left from Chhindwara has arrested Sresan Pharma owner Ranganathan. He was rounded up late at night and then arrested. As part of the procedure, his medical examination will be done and other proceedings will be undertaken in Chennai. Then, after, he will be brought to Chhindwara," Chhindwara police superintendent, Ajay Pandey said in a statement.
Seventeen of the victims were from the Chhindwara district, two of the children were from the Betul district, and one was from the Pandhuma district. "Twenty children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul, and Pandhuma districts. The state government is quite strict," Shukla said.
Ranganathan is facing charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, drug adulteration, and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Indian drugmakers are meant to test each batch of raw materials and the final product by law. Since 2023, it's also been required that cough syrup exports have another layer of tests at government-mandated laboratories following the deaths of over 10 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon. Those deaths were previously linked to Indian syrups.
WHO confirmed it had contacted the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) of India on Wednesday, October 1, "for clarification regarding potential links to contaminated medicines and whether the products were exported to other countries. "WHO communicated that it stood ready to support national authorities in investigating and responding to these tragic events," the message read.
"On 8 October 2025, WHO received information from CDSCO that Diethylene Glycol (DEG) had been detected in at least three oral syrup medicines. These medicines were among those consumed by children in the reported cluster of cases," it added.
CDSCO informed WHO that "the products had been recalled and that the identified manufacturers have been ordered to stop production of all medical products. CDSCO also stated that none of the products were exported from India."
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