Post-mortem examinations on 24-year-old British national Ebony McIntosh and 26-year-old German tourist Nadine Raguse were conducted on Monday (10). They died while staying at the Miracle Colombo City hostel in Colombo on 01 February.
According to the police, the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) returned an open verdict, and forensic samples were sent to the Government Analyst’s Department for further analysis to determine the precise cause of death.
Following the autopsy, Ebony McIntosh’s body was handed over to her mother, who had travelled to Sri Lanka to arrange for the repatriation of her daughter’s body to the UK for final rites. Police Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manathunga confirmed that McIntosh’s family, including her mother and sister, had arrived in Sri Lanka to identify the body formally.
Nadine Raguse’s remains were handed over to an undertaker for preparations, prior to being sent to Germany, in accordance with her family’s wishes. It was reported that Raguse’s mother had contacted the German Embassy in Sri Lanka and requested the autopsy and repatriation of her daughter’s remains.
The two women fell ill at the hostel on 01 February and were subsequently hospitalised. A 30-year-old German man who was also taken ill is still receiving treatment in hospital.
Investigators have since closed the hostel. Reports indicate that the room adjacent to Ebony McIntosh’s had been fumigated for bed bugs just days before she became ill, although it is yet to be confirmed whether this played a role in the deaths.
The Kollupitiya Police are continuing investigation into the incident. (RK)
