TN govt seals factory of cough syrup manufacturer near Chennai

Chennai, Oct 8 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government has sealed the factory of a drug manufacturer located in neighbouring Kancheepuram district after 20 children from Madhya Pradesh died after consuming a "contaminated" cough syrup.

A Special Investigation Team formed by the Madhya Pradesh Police is also expected to inspect the premises at Sunguvarchathram in Kancheepuram district on Wednesday, sources said.

On October 7, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said a total of 20 children from the state have died so far while undergoing treatment for kidney failure after consuming a contaminated cough syrup.

"Yes. The factory has been sealed on Tuesday evening," a government official told PTI on Wednesday.

The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department on October 4 declared that the samples of cough syrups collected from the manufacturing facility to be "adulterated" and an drug department official had told PTI that the company has been instructed to "halt production" immediately.

The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sales of cough syrup 'Coldrif' from October 1 and ordered removal of stocks of the medicine from the market.

The pharmaceutical company that manufactures the syrup has not issued any statement so far. PTI VIJ KH