India, Oct. 9 -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pune region has seized cough syrup stock worth over Rs.13 lakh, said officials on Wednesday.

The action on Tuesday follows recent deaths of 16 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly after consuming "Coldrif" cough syrup containing diethylene glycol (DEG). The health ministry confirmed that samples of "Coldrif" contained DEG exceeding permissible limits. Diethylene glycol is a toxic solvent used in industrial products and can cause kidney impairment, said officials.

Stock worth Rs.13 lakh belonging to ten cough syrup brands has been confiscated from Wadki in Pune district and Karad area.

Girish Hukare, joint commissioner, FDA Pune Region (Pune, Solapur, Satara, Sangli, ...