A tourist on her “dream holiday” to Sri Lanka has tragically died in hospital after her hostel was ‘fumigated for bed bugs’.
Travel influencer Ebony McIntosh, 24, had set off to Sri Lanka on January 28, 2025, from Heathrow travelling thousands of miles to the south Asian country for a dream trip. However, her stay at the Miracle Colombo City hostel was “cruelly cut short” just two days later after reports suggested that the bedroom next to hers in the building was fumigated for bed bugs.
Ebony’s distressed family have said they are in the midst of a “nightmare” as they fundraise to have their “beautiful baby girl” returned home to the UK. They claimed Ebony was one of several people sent to hospital last week, with others left vomiting and struggling to breathe, reports the Mirror.
Taking to GoFundMe, organiser India McIntosh, Ebony’s younger sister, said she “took very ill” in the hostel, which has since been closed, alongside several other guests, who were treated in hospital for “vomiting” and “nausea”. Ebony, they wrote, suffered difficulty breathing, and sadly passed away less than a week after she arrived in Sri Lanka on February 1.
India wrote: “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.” The organiser added that Ebony passed away “with someone from the hostel beside her” who stayed with her “during her last moments”.
The sister added the family is “endlessly grateful” to the man, and now hope to bring Ebony “home where she belongs”. Local reports have suggested that a German couple also fell ill following the alleged fumigation of the room, which was sealed for 72 hours following the treatment for bed bugs.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the fumigation played a role in Ebony’s death and an exact cause has not yet been given. Her body won’t be released until Sri Lankan authorities complete the post-mortem, and Ebony’s family is now fundraising to have her body returned home as tributes flood social media.
India wrote: “The authorities in Sri Lanka are not allowed to release Ebony to us until a full Post Mortem has been completed. There is also an ongoing investigation because of the tragic circumstances linked to how she died. We are desperate and cannot wait any longer to see her and to bring her home.
“We are raising money for flight costs, hotel accommodation, emergency passports, vaccinations, visas and funeral services to give her the best send off that she deserves. 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.”
People can donate to the fundraiser set up by Ebony’s family here.