British woman who died in Sri Lanka may have been poisoned by pesticides — police

Independent

06-02-2025

A British woman who died after collapsing at a hostel in Sri Lanka may have been poisoned by noxious pesticides, police say.
Derby woman Ebony McIntosh, a digital marketing and social media manager, was rushed to hospital in the capital, Colombo, on Saturday after suffering from vomiting, nausea and trouble breathing.
The 24-year-old died alongside German national Nadine Raguse, 26, who was also staying at the Miracle Colombo City hostel.
A room in the hostel had been fumigated to treat bed bugs before the young women fell ill, Sri Lanka police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga told the PA news agency.
A police investigation had been launched, and officers were investigating the possibility that the women were poisoned by noxious pesticides, Mr Manatunga said.
Ms McIntosh's cause of death had not been identified as a post-mortem examination would take place after her family arrived in Sri Lanka on 10 February, Mr Manatunga said.
The hostel had been closed until this occurred.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Sri Lanka, and are in contact with the local authorities.'
The fatal incident came just weeks after six tourists died from methanol poisoning in Laos after drinking contaminated free shots at a backpackers' hostel.
On Sunday, British survivor Bethany Clarke spoke for the first time about the incident in Laos which claimed the life of her childhood friend Simone White.
'If it looked dodgy, I wouldn't have drunk it,' Ms Clarke told Australia's 60 Minutes programme.
'We went up to the bar and I watched him pour them out from a glass bottle with a vodka label on it. I knew it would have been a local spirit, I wouldn't expect it to be an international spirit.'