Two tourists die in Sri Lanka, investigation under way into suspected fumigation poisoning

Ebony McIntosh, pictured, and a German woman died after staying at the Miracle Colombo City Hostel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo / via Instagram

• Sri Lankan police are investigating the deaths of two tourists after suspected poisoning from fumigation.
• Ebony McIntosh, 24, and a 26-year-old German woman died after falling ill in Colombo.
• The hostel was fumigated for bed bugs; police closed it and are conducting tests.

Sri Lankan police on Saturday said they were investigating the death of two foreign tourists, suspected to have succumbed to poisoning after the fumigation against insects in their hostel rooms.

The tourists, both women, a 24-year-old Briton and a 26-year-old German, were discovered sick in their hostel rooms in the capital Colombo.

The Briton, whose family named as Ebony McIntosh, died in hospital on February 2, the same day she had arrived in the hostel.

The German woman died on February 3, police said.

A German man is still receiving treatment in hospital.

On a tribute page, it was revealed Ebony McIntosh "passed away with someone from the hostel beside her". Photo / via Instagram

Police said tests had been carried out to determine if the deaths were caused by poisoning due to the fumigation of a room.

Sri Lankan media reported that the hostel had been fumigated for bed bugs and other pests days before, and said it had been closed by police.

McIntosh’s family have launched an online fundraising page to return her body to the UK, describing how she and others in the hostel were “rushed to hospital to be treated for vomiting, nausea and in Ebony’s case, difficulty in breathing”.

“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,” a tribute on the GoFundMe page read.

Miracle Colombo City Hostel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo / via Instagram

“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 statement added: “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.”

- Agence France-Presse