The death toll due to the alleged consumption of a contaminated cough syrup has increased to 20 in Madhya Pradesh even as a PIL in the SC has sought a court-monitored CBI probe into matter.

Madhya Pradesh Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla on Tuesday said a total of 20 children from the state had died, two of them in the past 24 hours, while undergoing treatment for kidney failure after having Coldrif cough syrup.

Earlier, the state government had confirmed the death of 16 children from Chhindwara who had allegedly consumed Coldrif, samples of which were found to have toxic contents.

Shukla said, “So far, 20 children from Madhya Pradesh have died while undergoing treatment...Two of them died in the past 24 hours.” Describing the fatalities as extremely tragic, he said the government would extend

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