A British woman has been found dead in a Sri Lankan hostel – ordered to close by a local court – as police launch a probe.
A 24-year-old woman had been sharing a room with a German couple in Kollupitiya when they reportedly fell ill and were rushed to a local hospital, reports the Mirror. Sadly, the Brit was pronounced dead, while the couple remain in hospital. As police look to investigate the woman’s mysterious death, the hostel has been ordered to shut down by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court.
According to authorities, an investigation has been launched and a post-mortem examination will be conducted once the victim’s relatives arrive to identify her remains. It comes after a British woman and her fiancé were found dead in their hotel rooms in Vietnam after drinking contaminated limoncello from a restaurant, according to police.
Recently engaged couple Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her partner Arno Els Quinton, 36, went out for dinner on Christmas Eve before heading back home and ordering two bottles of “homemade” limoncello from another restaurant.
According to a source close to the family, Otteson contacted her parents via WhatsApp to complain of “the worst hangover ever” and seeing “black spots” in her vision. The couple tried to “sleep it off” rather than visiting a hospital. “A local bar owner and a fantastic friend called over and wanted to take them to hospital but they refused. Sadly I think it was too late by then,” a source told The Times..
On Boxing day, the body of Otteson was found by staff at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa, while Quinton was discovered in a nearby room. Police launched an investigation into their deaths and found empty bottles of limoncello both inside their rooms. The tests concluded the couple both died of methanol poisoning, believed to be linked to the “homemade” limoncello, according to investigators. A source close to the family said: “Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered, was the source.”
It is unclear how methanol could have been inside the bottles. Otteson’s parents, Susan and Paul described their only child as “beautiful”. “Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future,” they said. “The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results.”
Paul said the couple had just celebrated their engagement last month. “We were so happy she picked Arno. He was such a lovely boy. Arno was a great musician, composer and lyricist,” he said.
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