According to local authorities, at least three Indian states have banned the sale of a cough syrup after several children allegedly died following its use, AFP reports.

Since late August, at least nine children under the age of five have died in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after being given the syrup.

India’s Ministry of Health stated that laboratory tests detected the presence of diethylene glycol (DEG) — a toxic chemical used in industrial solvents that can be fatal even in small doses.“The samples contained DEG levels above the permissible limit,”the ministry noted.

The syrup, sold under the brand name Coldrif Cough Syrup, was manufactured by Sresan Pharma at a facility in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

In Madhya Pradesh, where most of the deaths occurred, the sale of the syrup — as well as other products from the same manufacturer — has been banned, said Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Authorities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have taken similar measures.

Indian-made cough syrups have drawn global scrutiny in recent years after similar child deaths were reported in several countries — including The Gambia, where more than 70 children died in 2022 after consuming an Indian-made cough syrup.