By Arpita Ghosh

Copyright timesnownews

The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sale of the cough syrup Coldrif and ordered its removal from the market after reports linked it to the deaths of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The ban, effective October 1, applies across the state, an official from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department said. Authorities conducted inspections at the manufacturer’s facility in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district, over the past two days and collected samples for laboratory testing. The company supplies the syrup to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Puducherry. The samples will be tested for diethylene glycol, a chemical known to be toxic if ingested, the official told PTI. The Union government will also test the samples. Also Read: MP Child Deaths: Tests Rule Out Diethylene Glycol in Cough Syrup Samples, Probe Continues Following the child deaths, the Union Health Ministry issued an advisory to all states and union territories on Friday, warning that cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 2 years. The advisory was issued by the Directorate General of Health Services amid reports of infant deaths allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups. “The department has been asked to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze the stocks from October 1,” the official said. The Drug Department has ordered the company to halt production of Coldrif until laboratory results are released. “We expect the report to be released in the coming days,” he said. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath alleged that the deaths in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, where nine children have died since September 7, may have been caused by a “brake oil solvent” mixed into the syrup. Media reports said two infants died in Rajasthan in similar incidents. For all the latest news and india news, visit Times Now to get live updates and breaking news around the world.