"Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite." Saying like this is usually part of a goodnight wish, considered a playful and affectionate way to wish someone a peaceful sleep.
A hostel in Sri Lanka might had that in mind, but things went wrong.
This is because one of its guests, British influencer Ebony McIntosh, died after her room at the hostel was fumigated to treat bedbugs.
She fell ill at first, and passed away about three hours later.
The news was revealed by her sister, India McIntosh.
India said that Ebony left Heathrow on 28 January to "follow her dreams of travelling all over South Asia, starting in Sri Lanka."
Having planned this trip for a while, Sri Lanka was the perfect destination, as the country is considered a tropical paradise with a blend of adventure, history, and relaxation.
The family said that she was "full of excitement for her adventures ahead, in typical Ebony style she had spent months researching and planning and drawing up schedules for the coming months."
Unfortunately, things didn't work out well for the young woman.
"Her trip was cruelly cut short on Saturday 1st February, when she [was taken] very ill in the hostel she was staying in."
Ebony, a social media manager from the English city of Derby, was with Nadine Raguse from Germany, and the two friends were both staying in the Miracle Colombo City hostel in the Sri Lankan capital.
They both fell ill after a room at the hostel was fumigated to treat bedbugs, Sri Lanka Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga said.
At the time, Ebony was vomiting and had trouble breathing.
She was taken to the hospital, where she died a few hours later.
Ebony, the influencer who shared fashion, travel and lifestyle content to her audience of 10,000 followers, was only 24 when she died.
But before anything can be concluded, everything is considered allegations.
This is why investigators sought for an autopsy to determine the cause of her death. And this is planned to take place, only after her family arrives in Sri Lanka.
In the meantime, the hostel where Ebony and Nadine were said to have shared a room, has since been shut down after an emergency order by local police.
It shall remain closed indefinitely, at least until the case is solved, or the cause of death isn't related to crime.
Initially, reports suggest that Ebony and Nadine may have suffered a possible chemical poisoning, which sources said that the chemical used was phosphine.
This compound is colorless, flammable, gas that is often used as a fumigant and rodenticide. It's potent, and highly toxic.
When inhaled, the compound interferes with how the body transports oxygen and how it uses it in various cells.
Exposure can cause edema in the lungs, which can worsen since phosphine is heavier than air so the lungs cannot easily expel it.
While the compound targets the lungs, overexposure of the gas can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, thirst, chest tightness, dyspnea, muscle pain, chills, stupor or syncope, and pulmonary edema.
When used as a fumigant, phosphine does not leave residue, and that it's also relatively cheap to buy, if compared to similar compound in the market.
Phosphine in its pure form is odorless. But can also come with a distinct garlic-like smell, if not rotten fish.
Due to how dangerous it is, phosphine is often used for pest control, but its usage is regulated.
The hostel sealed the room shut for 72 hours following the treatment on January 30.
The McIntosh’s family have launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for "flight costs, hotel accommodation, emergency passports, vaccinations, visas and funeral services to give her the best send off that she deserves."
This is because the authorities in Sri Lanka have informed them that they're not allowed to being Ebony home until all procedures have been completed, which also include a full post mortem.
And because the nature of her death, an investigation is also required to get to know the link how she died.
"We are absolutely heartbroken to share that our beautiful baby girl and big sister Ebony has passed away unexpectedly on the Saturday 1st February 2025, thousands of miles away from home," McIntosh’s family wrote on the page.
"Words cannot begin to express how broken we are, it’s been like a nightmare since we found out on Sunday morning, we have prayed and prayed that this can’t be true. It couldn’t possibly happen to our lovely Ebs,"
"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," the page said.
It didn't take long until the GoFundMe £40,000 goal is reached.
