At least 22 children under the age of five have died in India after taking contaminated cough syrup that contained a deadly industrial chemical, authorities said.
The deaths occurred over the past month in Madhya Pradesh state after children were given Coldrif syrup, made by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Tamil Nadu. Lab tests showed the medicine contained diethylene glycol at levels up to 48.6 percent—nearly 500 times higher than allowed. Diethylene glycol is a toxic substance used in antifreeze and brake fluid that can be fatal even in small amounts, especially for children.
Of the 22 deaths, 17 children were from Chhindwara district, two from Betul district, two from Pandhurna district, and one from Parasia town. The victims included Shivam Rathore, 4, Vidhi Namita, 3, and Yogita Thakre, 2, who died between early September 2025 and early October 2025. Five more children remain hospitalized in Nagpur with kidney complications.
Police arrested G. Ranganathan, 75, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, at his Chennai home early Thursday morning, October 9. He faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and drug adulteration. Madhya Pradesh police worked with Tamil Nadu authorities in a midnight operation to make the arrest.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said authorities moved quickly after learning about the deaths. He told Asian News International that once officials discovered children were dying from Coldrif cough syrup manufactured by the Tamil Nadu-based company, they immediately registered a case and formed a special investigation team.
Children who took the contaminated syrup developed acute kidney injury symptoms, including reduced urination and elevated waste products in their blood. Ten children died while receiving treatment at Nagpur’s Government Medical College and Hospital. Medical tests on one victim, four-year-old Vikas Yaduvanshi, confirmed acute tubular injury through kidney biopsy.
An inspection of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ factory uncovered serious violations. The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department found more than 350 violations, including unsanitary storage conditions and illegal use of non-pharmaceutical chemicals. The company continued producing and selling drugs despite lacking proper manufacturing certification. Investigators discovered the company purchased 50 kilograms of propylene glycol without invoices, indicating illegal procurement.
The response to the crisis faced delays. When samples arrived at a Bhopal lab on September 30, staff tested other medicines instead and then went on leave for the Dussehra holiday. Tamil Nadu’s Drug Control Department didn’t begin an emergency inspection until October 1. The inspection team, headed by Deputy Director of Drugs Control S. Gurubharathi, raided the plant in Kanchipuram district and discovered multiple violations of drug manufacturing and testing standards. Within one day, officials determined Coldrif failed quality standards and posed health risks.
Madhya Pradesh banned Coldrif and all other medicines from Sresan Pharmaceuticals. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered that two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration be suspended. The state’s drug controller received a transfer. Tamil Nadu cancelled the company’s manufacturing license, while Kerala banned all medicines made by Sresan Pharmaceuticals. Uttar Pradesh also prohibited the syrup.
Authorities arrested Dr. Praveen Soni, a government pediatrician who prescribed the syrup to children at his clinic in Parasia. Most of the deceased children had received care at his facility after presenting with cold, cough, and fever symptoms. He told investigators he had been prescribing the cough syrup for 15 years. He faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and received a suspension from his position.
The government announced compensation of 4 lakh rupees (approximately $4800) for each deceased child’s family and committed to covering all medical costs for hospitalized children. Officials ordered shops to remove existing stock and launched a campaign to recover the drug from homes in affected areas.
This isn’t the first time Indian-made cough syrups have caused deaths. More than 70 children died in Gambia in 2022 from kidney failure after taking cough syrup imported from India. The World Health Organization found the medicines contained excessive amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. In Uzbekistan, 68 children died between 2022 and 2023 after consuming contaminated syrup produced in India. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration worked with the WHO in January 2023 to investigate contaminated cough syrups that killed more than 300 children in Asia and Africa.
India ranks as the world’s third-largest drug maker by volume after the U.S. and China. Indian drug companies supply 20 percent of global drug demand and 60 percent of the vaccines used worldwide. Since October 2022, the WHO has issued six alerts about contaminated syrups and estimates 15 Indian companies are involved.
The problem often starts with a common ingredient. Propylene glycol, used in cough syrups, sometimes becomes contaminated with cheaper industrial chemicals like diethylene glycol, which serve as solvents for paints, plastics, and antifreeze fluid for brakes.
The Indian health ministry held a high-level meeting to review drug quality standards and the use of cough syrups for children. Health officials determined that cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under two years old and are generally not recommended for those under five because they provide minimal benefit and carry significant risks.
