Chhindwara: Tragedy struck Chhindwara again after a five-month-old baby girl died allegedly after consuming an Ayurvedic cough syrup and a medicinal powder, officials said on Friday.

The incident comes barely two weeks after a series of child deaths linked to a toxic cough syrup ‘Coldrif‘. The latest death has taken the toll from the use of liquid formulations to 25.

“Ruhi Minote, who was suffering from cold and cough, died on Thursday. Her family had purchased an Ayurvedic syrup and some medicinal powder from Kuratha Medical Shop four days earlier. The medical shop has been sealed,” Chaurai Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prabhat Mishra told PTI.

“A case of unnatural death has been registered by police. Samples of the syrup and powder have been sent for testing. The viscera has been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) in Jabalpur. We are waiting for the post-mortem report,” the SDM added.

Earlier, 24 children, comprising 21 from Chhindwara, two from Betul and one from Pandhurna, died of renal failure linked to consumption of ‘Coldrif’, an allopathic cough syrup found to contain 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol, a highly poisonous compound.