Published : 02 Oct 2025, 01:50 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:52 PM
A tragedy has unfolded in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara District, where six children have tragically died of kidney failure within only 15 days.
What initially seemed like a seasonal fever outbreak has taken a dark turn, with health authorities suspecting that contaminated cough syrup, laced with toxic diethylene glycol, may be the cause, NDTV reported.
The children, all under the age of five, began experiencing mild fever and cold symptoms, and after being prescribed routine cough syrups by local doctors, they showed signs of recovery, it added.
Their condition, however, worsened after a few days, with the return of symptoms and a sudden decline in urine output, leading to kidney infections.
Despite being rushed to Nagpur in Maharashtra for advanced treatment, three of the children died.
“Our children had never even been sick before,” the report quoted a heartbroken parent as saying.
“This time, they had a small fever. After the syrup, their urine stopped. We couldn’t save them.”
According to NDTV, kidney biopsies revealed the presence of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical linked to pharmaceutical poisoning. Most of the victims had been administered Coldrif and Nextro-DS syrups, both of which are now under suspicion.
In response, Chhindwara Collector Sheelendra Singh banned the sale of these syrups throughout the district and issued an urgent advisory to doctors, pharmacies, and parents.
“The biopsy report strongly suggests contaminated medicine as the cause of kidney failure. Water samples from the affected villages have shown no infection. The drug link cannot be ignored,” Singh said.
The district administration has requested help from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), while a team from Bhopal's Health Department is conducting surveys in the affected villages. They are collecting medicine samples and interviewing families to identify more potential victims.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Naresh Gonare reported that the first suspected case occurred on Aug 24, with the first death on Sept 7.
“Since Sept 20, more cases of urinary retention and kidney complications have emerged. This is a sensitive period for viral infections, but sudden kidney failure in so many children points to something far more dangerous,” he said.
The ICMR team has already sent blood and medicine samples for further analysis to Pune’s Virology Institute. As grieving families demand justice, the local administration faces increasing pressure to find answers.
