A SECOND visitor who passed away unexpectedly at a Sri Lankan hostel along with a British travel influencer has been identified as police investigate whether dangerous fumigation substances contributed to the incident.
Nadine Raguse, a 26-year-old German citizen, and Ebony McIntosh, 24, from Derby, were residents at the Miracle Colombo City Hostel when they became seriously unwell.
Both women allegedly experienced intense vomiting, nausea, and respiratory problems before being hurried to the hospital, where they were ultimately declared deceased.
Sri Lanka Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga confirmed that a room in the hostel had been fumigated for bed bugs just days before the women’s deaths.
Officers are now investigating the possibility that they were poisoned by noxious pesticides.
Reports in Sri Lanka said that an adjacent room to Ebony’s had been fumigated on January 30 and sealed for 72 hours following the treatment.
A post-mortem examination on Ebony will take place after her family arrives in Sri Lanka on February 10.
The hostel has been temporarily shut down as authorities examine the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Sri Lanka, and are in contact with the local authorities.”
TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR BRIT
Ebony McIntosh’s sudden death has sparked an outpouring of grief from friends and family, with her younger sister India vowing to seek answers.
“To my Ebony, my beautiful sister, thank you, thank you for being my older sister, one better than I could’ve ever asked for,” she wrote in a heartbreaking tribute.
“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.”
Travel influencer Ebony had been just four days into a long-awaited South Asian adventure when tragedy struck.
Her family has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise £22,000 for travel costs, emergency passports, and funeral expenses.
More than £20,000 has already been raised as the devastated family fights to bring her 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,” her sister wrote.
“We want to be able to bring her back home safely to rest. We just need to look after our angel.”
