MUMBAI -- Authorities in India have stopped production of cough syrup at a factory linked to children's deaths in Gambia after they found violations, a state minister told Reuters partner ANI on Wednesday.

Authorities said last week they were testing samples of cough syrup produced by India's Maiden Pharma for export after the World Health Organization linked them to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia.

"State drug depts conducted a joint inspection, around 12 flaws were found, keeping which in mind, it's been decided that the total production shall be stopped," said minister Anil Vij of Haryana state, where the factory is located.

Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Tom Hogue