Gujarat: 5 Die After Suspected Consumption Of Contaminated Ayurvedic Syrup In Kheda

The ayurvedic syrup, leveled as 'Kalmeghasav - Asava Arishta', was sold to nearly 50 people by a shopkeeper in Bilodara village near Nadiad town of Kheda district.

New Delhi: Gujarat Police on Thursday said at least five persons have died and two hospitalised over the last two days after allegedly consuming contaminated ayurvedic syrup containing methyl alcohol in the Kheda district. Methyl alcohol is a poisonous substance. 

According to a preliminary probe, the ayurvedic syrup, leveled as 'Kalmeghasav - Asava Arishta', was sold to nearly 50 people by a shopkeeper in Bilodara village near Nadiad town of Kheda district.

Kheda Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya said, "Blood sample report of a villager confirmed that methyl alcohol was added to the syrup before it was sold." 

"While five persons have lost their lives after consuming the syrup during the last two days, two are still under treatment. We have detained three persons, including the shopkeeper, for further questioning," he added.

Earlier in October, samples of syrups manufactured by two pharmaceutical companies based in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu were found to have contaminants ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. Both of these substances were earlier detected in some syrups that were allegedly linked to deaths in the Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon since last year, PTI reported.

These are among 48 drugs, samples of which were declared as "not of standard quality" and "spurious" by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), out of a total of 1,166 samples tested in August.

According to PTI, aamples from a batch of cough syrup and another batch of anti-allergy syrup manufactured by Gujarat-based Norris Medicines Limited were found to be not of standard quality, containing 0.118 per cent ethylene glycol and 0.171 per cent ethylene glycol and 0.243 per cent diethylene glycol respectively.

Samples from three batches of COLD OUT syrup having paracetamol, phenylephrine, and chlorpheniramine and used for relieving nasal congestion, runny nose and fever, etc., manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Fourrts (India) Laboratories, were also found to have both the contaminants -- ethylene glycol 1.9 per cent and diethylene glycol 0.14 per cent.

Earlier in August, the WHO had raised an alert over a batch of contaminated COLD OUT cough syrup supplied in Iraq and manufactured by the same company.