A police probe has been launched into the sudden death of a 24-year-old British woman who was staying in a hostel in Sri Lanka. Ebony McIntosh, a digital marketing and social media manager from Derby, was taken to hospital in the capital Colombo on Saturday after reportedly suffering with vomiting, nausea and breathing difficulties, Sri Lanka Police said.
Ms McIntosh and German national Nadine Raguse, 26, who was also staying at the Miracle Colombo City hostel, both died, according to the force. Sri Lanka Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga told the PA news agency that a room in the hostel had been fumigated to treat bed bugs before they fell ill.
Mr Manatunga said that officers are investigating the possibility that the women were poisoned by noxious pesticides. Ms McIntosh’s cause of death has not been identified as a post-mortem examination will take place after her family arrive in Sri Lanka on February 10, the force spokesman said.
The hostel has been closed until this occurs. A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Sri Lanka, and are in contact with the local authorities.”