A British woman has died while on holiday in Sri Lanka after a room in her hostel was fumigated for bed bugs, local police have confirmed.
Ebony McIntosh, 24, from Derby, fell ill at the Miracle Colombo City Hostel and was taken to a hospital in Colombo on Saturday. She experienced vomiting, nausea, and breathing difficulties but died hours later.
Another guest, Nadie Raguse, 26, from Germany, also died under similar circumstances, Sri Lankan police said.
Authorities are investigating whether exposure to noxious pesticides played a role in their deaths. Police spokesperson Buddhika Manatunga stated that a room had been fumigated before the women became ill. The hostel has since been closed until further notice.
McIntosh's family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs of repatriating her body to the UK.
"We are absolutely heartbroken to share that our beautiful baby girl and big sister Ebony has passed away unexpectedly on Saturday 1st February 2025, thousands of miles away from home," the family wrote in a statement on the page.
"Words cannot begin to express how broken we are, it's been like a nightmare since we found out on Sunday morning, we have prayed and prayed that this can't be true. It couldn't possibly happen to our lovely Ebs."
The family expressed their grief over her final moments, saying, "We cannot even begin to imagine how scared she must have felt at the time and it hurts us so badly to think of the pain she was in. We need to be with her and bring her home safely. She passed away with someone from the hostel beside her. We are endlessly grateful to this man for staying with her during her last moments."
McIntosh had begun her travels on Jan. 28, flying from Heathrow to Sri Lanka as part of a long-planned trip across South Asia. "She was full of excitement for her adventures ahead," her family said. "In typical Ebony style, she had spent months researching and planning and drawing up schedules for the coming months."
Her cause of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy is pending and will take place after her family arrives in Sri Lanka on Feb. 10, police said.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) stated: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Sri Lanka and are in contact with the local authorities."
