A woman suffered burns over 60% of her body after a barbecue caught fire at a homestay in Sitong, Darjeeling, with the property owner acknowledging that a worker allegedly used kerosene instead of cooking oil. Her husband was also injured while trying to put out the flames.
The injured woman, identified as Nikita Saha, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Siliguri. She and her husband, Samir Das, are residents of Chopra in North 24 Parganas and had travelled to Sitong for their honeymoon several days ago.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal, the couple were sitting on the homestay’s verandah on Thursday night when the barbecue suddenly caught fire. CCTV footage from the property reportedly shows flames spreading immediately after a liquid was poured onto the barbecue. Nikita, who was in front of it, was engulfed in the fire.
Samir tried to extinguish the flames by removing his T-shirt and using it to put out the fire on his wife’s body. He also suffered burn injuries during the rescue attempt. The report said Samir described the liquid as turpentine oil, while the homestay owner, Nihal Aiyan, acknowledged that an employee had poured kerosene instead of cooking oil. The account was attributed to the homestay authorities and the injured woman’s family.
The incident has also raised questions about the emergency assistance provided to the couple after the fire. The family alleged that the homestay authorities did not offer adequate help and did not follow up after Nikita was taken to hospital. A vehicle arranged to take her for treatment reportedly arrived about 40 minutes later.
Nikita was first taken to a local hospital before being shifted to a private hospital in Siliguri. Her in-laws travelled from Chopra to Siliguri after learning about the incident. The report said the family has filed a complaint against the homestay at Karsiyang police station.
The case places attention on safety practices in homestays, where open-fire cooking and barbecue services can form part of the guest experience but require controlled fuel handling, trained staff and rapid emergency response. The supplied report does not establish whether the property had specific fire-safety equipment, operating protocols or approvals for the barbecue activity.
Police are investigating the incident. Further findings from the investigation are expected to establish the exact liquid used, the role of the employee and whether any safety or operational violations took place at the homestay.
