A BRITISH woman who died suddenly in Sri Lanka has been named as Ebony McIntosh as tributes pour in to the “beautiful” travel influencer.
A young woman from Derby, aged 24, was taken to the hospital during her dream trip just four days in due to symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and breathing issues.
She had been staying at the Miracle Colombo City hostel, which has since been shut down by investigators.
A German couple, who had been sharing a room with the Brit, also fell ill with similar symptoms.
Reports in Sri Lanka say an adjacent room to Ebony’s had just been fumigated to treat bedbugs on January 30.
The room had reportedly been sealed for 72 hours following the treatment.
But it’s not known whether that played a role in the influencer’s passing as an exact cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
Ebony’s body will not be released until Sri Lankan authorities complete the post-mortem examination.
On Saturday, she was rushed to the hospital, prompting an outpouring of support on social media from friends, family, and followers. They expressed their condolences for the young backpacker who had meticulously planned her journey through South Asia over several months.
India, her younger sister, posted a touching message online, saying, “Dear Ebony, my lovely sister, I want to express my gratitude for being the best older sister one could wish for…”.
“I am truly heartbroken, I can’t believe I am writing this, it feels like some nightmare I haven’t woken up from yet. We will get justice for you, you had so much life left to live.”
Others described Ebony as a “beautiful soul” and “an adventurous spirit who lived life to the fullest.”
Her best friend wrote: “I am absolutely broken. Ebony was one of the kindest, funniest, and most determined people I’ve ever known.
“She had the biggest dreams, and she deserved to live them all.”
Ebony’s family have since set up a GoFundMe page to raise £22,000 for travel costs, emergency passports, and funeral expenses.
Sister India said: “Her trip was cruelly cut short on Saturday 1st February, when she took very ill in the hostel she was staying in… She sadly and tragically passed away within a few hours of arriving at the hospital, they couldn’t save our beautiful girl.”
More than £20,000 has already been raised as the devastated family pushes to bring Ebony home.
“We need to be with our beautiful Ebony as soon as possible, we hate the thought of her being alone in a foreign country. We want to be able to bring her back home safely to rest. We just need to look after our angel.”
Ebony’s death just weeks after another British woman and her fiancé were allegedly fatally poisoned by methanol-laced limoncello at their Vietnam hotel.
Newly engaged couple Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Els Quinton, 36, had reportedly received two bottles of the “homemade” liqueur from a local restaurant on Christmas Eve.
Tragically, their bodies were discovered in separate rooms at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa two days later on Boxing Day — just three weeks after their engagement.
The couple’s tragedy also follows a similar case in Laos five weeks earlier, when six people, including 28-year-old British lawyer Simone White, died after consuming tainted vodka shots at a hostel.
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