Woman burnt using kerosene instead of cooking oil on barbeque:Husband also injured while saving her; newlywed couple was on Darjeeling honeymoon

A fire broke out at a homestay’s barbecue in Sitong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, on Thursday night. A newlywed woman suffered 60% burns in the incident. Her husband was also injured while trying to save her. The woman has been admitted to a private hospital in Siliguri for treatment. According to police, the fire broke out after kerosene was poured into the barbecue instead of cooking oil. The family has filed a complaint against the homestay at Kurseong police station. Police have started an investigation, but no arrests have been made so far. Sameer Das was discharged from the hospital after receiving initial treatment. A police officer said the incident took place on Thursday night. The officer said, “We have received a complaint and are investigating the circumstances of the fire. The exact cause will be known after the investigation.” Couple had gone to Sitong for their honeymoon Nikita and Sameer are residents of Chopra in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. They got married around two months ago. According to police, they had been in a relationship for several years. After their wedding, they travelled to Sitong a few days ago for their honeymoon. CCTV footage from the homestay shows the fire spreading rapidly after something was poured into the barbecue. Nikita’s clothes then caught fire. The footage shows Sameer removing his T-shirt and using it to put out the flames on Nikita’s body. He was also injured while trying to save her. Nikita’s husband alleged that the fire broke out after turpentine oil was poured onto the barbecue. Meanwhile, homestay owner Nihal Ayan admitted that the incident was caused by an employee’s negligence. According to Ayan, the employee poured kerosene instead of cooking oil. Family questions safety arrangements The family alleged that the homestay lacked necessary safety arrangements. They also claimed that the homestay operators did not help after the incident. The vehicle called to take Nikita to the hospital arrived around 40 minutes later. Nikita was initially taken to a nearby hospital. She was later admitted to a private hospital in Siliguri. Her condition is critical. ​