LAHORE (AP):Indications are that a cough syrup led to the death of 33 people in eastern Pakistan in the past three days, the second time in recent months that suspect medicine is thought to have caused multiple deaths.

The deaths from the cough syrup occurred in Gujranwala and villages surrounding the city.

Another 54 people are being treated at hospitals in the city who are also believed to have consumed the syrup.

Those involved are thought to be labourers or drug addicts, who drank the syrup to get high.

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.