LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities are investigating allegations that cough syrup has killed 33 people over the past three days, a government official said Saturday, the second time in recent months medicine is suspected of causing multiple deaths.
The deaths occurred in the eastern city of Gujranwala and nearby villages, said local official Abdul Jabbar Shaheen. Another 54 people thought to have consumed the syrup are also being treated at city hospitals. Officials believe the victims drank the syrup to get high, he added.
Tests show the victims' stomachs contained dextromethorphan, a synthetic morphine derivative used in cough syrup that can have mind-altering effects if consumed in large quantities, said Shaheen. Investigators are trying to determine if the victims drank too much syrup, or whether there was a problem with the medicine itself, he said.
Twenty-three people died in the nearby city of Lahore in November after drinking bad cough syrup sold under the brand name Tyno. They were also described at the time as people who consumed the drug to get high.
Shaheen said the cough syrup involved in the incidents in and around Gujranwala was not sold under a single brand. He said some people in the city make cough syrup to sell specifically to drug addicts, and officials are trying to arrest them.
Officials temporarily closed one Lahore-based pharmaceutical company whose cough syrup was found in the possession of some affected in Gujranwala. They are investigating whether it caused any of the deaths, said Shaheen.
Thursday, May 23 2013 11:10 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:10:53 GMT
AP photo
Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested Thursday for allegedly smoking marijuana in the lobby of her Midtown Manhattan building, police said. The troubled celebrity is also accused of throwing her "drug paraphernalia"
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Former Rep. Anthony Weiner launched his campaign for mayor of New York City this week, but his website seems to indicate he is running for office in Pittsburgh. The stylized and colorized image used in
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Thursday, May 23 2013 9:49 PM EDT2013-05-24 01:49:53 GMT
AP photo
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
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Thursday, May 23 2013 8:50 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:50:04 GMT
Heavy downpours sparked flash flooding across the tristate area on Thursday. The National Weather Service issued numerous weather alerts for many counties in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
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Thursday, May 23 2013 7:42 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:42:40 GMT
The Bronx Zoo has unveiled its animatronics dinosaur exhibit. The exhibit, called Dinosaur Safari, is something different from the zoo, which is better known for its exhibits of living animals. The ride
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