Two tourists have died in Sri Lanka after staying at the Miracle Colombo City Hostel, where authorities suspect toxic chemicals used to fumigate bedbugs may have caused the fatalities. The victims include 26-year-old German national Nadine Raguse and 24-year-old British woman Ebony McIntosh.
Ebony McIntosh, who was on a “dream holiday,” fell ill with nausea, severe vomiting, and breathing difficulties after a room in the hostel was fumigated. She was rushed to the hospital but tragically died. Sri Lanka Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga confirmed the fumigation took place just days before both women died.
An investigation is underway to determine if their deaths were due to poisoning by noxious pesticides. Reports indicate that a room adjacent to Ebony’s was fumigated on January 30 and sealed for 72 hours. The hostel has since been closed as investigators work to uncover the circumstances behind the deaths.
A post-mortem examination on Ebony is scheduled after her family arrives in Sri Lanka on February 10. The British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office is supporting Ebony’s family and is in contact with local authorities.
Tributes have poured in for Ebony, described as “the kindest, funniest, and most determined” person. Her sister, India McIntosh, expressed heartbreak and vowed to seek justice for Ebony, who had “so much life left to live.”
Ebony’s family is fundraising to bring her body back to the UK.
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