A British travel influencer has died in Sri Lanka amid fears she was poisoned by pesticides used to kill bed bugs at her hostel.
Ebony McIntosh, 24, from Mickleover, Derbyshire, was rushed to hospital in Colombo on Saturday after suffering from vomiting, nausea and breathing difficulties.
The social media manager, who had 10,000 Instagram followers, died just hours later at the hospital. She had only left the UK on January 28 for what was meant to be the trip of a lifetime across South Asia.
Reports suggest McIntosh may have been poisoned by noxious pesticides used to treat bed bugs in an adjacent room at the Miracle Colombo City hostel, which has now been shut down.
The former hostel in Sri Lanka
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A German tourist staying in the same room as McIntosh also died in the incident. Nadine Raguse, 26, was rushed to hospital with similar symptoms before passing away, Sri Lanka police confirmed.
Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga told reporters that a room in the hostel had been fumigated to treat bed bugs on January 30, then sealed for 72 hours before the incidents occurred.
Investigators are now probing whether toxic chemicals used in the pest control treatment led to the deaths.
A friend of McIntosh's mother Chandrika Patel said: "The family are completely devastated and inconsolable. They are beyond grief. She was their life."
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Ebony McIntosh
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McIntosh's younger sister India posted an emotional tribute on social media, writing: "To my Ebony, my beautiful sister, thank you, thank you for being my older sister, one better than I could've ever asked 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," she added.
India has launched a GoFundMe page to help the family travel to Sri Lanka and bring her sister's body home.
The fundraiser has already raised £45,000, double its target figure, to cover flights, accommodation, emergency passports and funeral services.
Sri Lankan authorities have launched a police investigation into the deaths, with the hostel remaining closed until further notice.
A post-mortem examination will not take place until McIntosh's family arrives in Sri Lanka on February 10, police spokesman Manatunga confirmed.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & 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."
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