Nepal, Oct. 20 -- In a shocking development, nearly 25 young children died after consuming adulterated cough syrup in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The cough syrup was found to contain toxic levels of diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent which is occasionally used to adulterate syrups.

The deaths started getting noticed when children started taking ill in mid-September after consuming a brand prescribed by a local doctor. The state government was slow to react when the deaths began getting reported. The testing of samples took too long, and even before the results came in, the State health minister declared the cough syrup safe.

Only once, Tamil Nadu, the state where the toxic syrup had been manufactured, warned that it had fo...