13 dead after drinking toxic cough syrup

At least 13 people have died and several others remain in critical condition after drinking toxic cough syrup in Pakistan's eastern Lahore city over the last two days, Xinhua news agency reported.

Police said more than 20 drug addicts drank a locally-manufactured cough syrup on Saturday evening but fell seriously ill a few minutes later.

Five people died right on the spot and the remaining victims were shifted to the state-run Mayo hospital where doctors said the medicine was adulterated which caused serious damage to the victims' internal body organs.

Later on Sunday, eight more people died and the remaining seven to ten patients are in critical condition, hospital sources said.

The syrup costs 40 Rupees (US$0.42) and is available at many medical stores in the city.

Punhab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed the police to seal the syrup manufacturing company and medical stores which sold the contaminated medicine.

Owners of the medical stores have been arrested and samples of the syrup were sent for laboratory testing.

Spurious drug business is flourishing in the country with many local pharmaceutical companies being involved.