A honeymoon in the hills of India turned into a nightmare when a newlywed bride was engulfed in flames during a barbecue at a homestay, leaving her critically injured with burns over roughly 60% of her body.
The incident happened on the evening of Sept. 13 at a homestay in Sittong, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Nikita Saha and her husband, Souvik Das, had checked into the property earlier that day while celebrating their recent marriage.
CCTV footage shows the couple sitting beside a barbecue while a worker tends to the fire. Moments later, the worker appears to pour a flammable liquid onto the grill, causing the flames to suddenly erupt toward Nikita.
Within seconds, she is engulfed in fire.
Souvik can be seen rushing toward his wife as she falls to the ground. He was also burned while trying to help put out the flames.
Nikita suffered burns over about 60% of her body and was taken to a hospital in Siliguri, where she remained in critical condition in the latest reports. Her husband was treated for his injuries and later released.
The couple had reportedly been married for around two months and planned to spend just one night at the homestay.
Souvik told local media that one employee had initially been tending the barbecue and occasionally adding fluid to keep the fire going. He said another worker later took over and allegedly poured a large amount of liquid onto the flames.
Police later said the substance involved was a flammable liquid used on the barbecue. Early reports identified it as kerosene, although some later accounts described it as lighter fluid or thinner, so the exact substance has not been consistently reported.
Souvik has also accused the property of failing to have adequate emergency equipment or transportation available after the fire. He said the couple had to wait before they could reach medical care and later filed a police complaint alleging negligence.
Police have since arrested four people in connection with the incident.
The Telegraph India identified them as homestay owners Pawan Kumar Agarwal and Nehal Airan, manager Dipen Lama and worker Nasiruddin. Authorities said investigators are examining each person’s role in the incident.
Police have not said that the fire was intentionally set, and the arrests should not be interpreted as proof of criminal guilt. The investigation is focused on how the blaze happened and whether safety failures or negligence contributed to Nikita’s injuries.
The frightening episode has also raised broader questions about fire safety at the growing number of homestays operating across the Darjeeling hills. Local authorities are now reviewing the circumstances surrounding the barbecue and the property’s response after the flames erupted.
For Nikita and her family, however, the focus remains on her recovery after a honeymoon celebration turned into a life-threatening emergency in a matter of seconds.
Leave a Reply