Indian expat family in UAE mourns daughter, 17, killed in Abu Dhabi car crash

Abu Dhabi: An Indian expat family in the UAE is mourning the loss of their 17-year-old daughter who died in a car crash that also critically injured their 20-year-old son and his friend.

The family of Nabanipa Sinha, who recently completed her grade 12 and was set to join university, has been shattered after the fatal crash on August 13.

According to the parents, who spoke to Gulf News on Monday, the accident took place while the trio was returning after watching the Perseids Meteor Shower at Al Quaa, Abu Dhabi's popular "Milky Way" stargazing spot.

The family has been in shock while trying to piece together what happened.

Nabanipa's mother Aatreyee Sinha told Gulf News that the three youngsters had been told to return home only after 5am to avoid the risks of driving late at night.

Minutes away from home

She said she had received messages from Nabanipa and from her son, Deeptanshu, both indicating they expected to reach home very soon.

But the news the parents received later was about the accident.

Aatreyee said the family had been struggling to come to terms with the loss of Nabanipa while also caring for her critically injured son.

Deeptanshu, a second-year engineering student in the US who was on vacation here, has been slowly recovering physically but is still dealing with multiple injuries and the trauma of the accident.

He has recently been shifted from the ICU to a step-down ICU and is scheduled to undergo some more surgeries.

"We couldn't have broken the news to him today without the support of the social service team. We are extremely thankful to the entire medical team here at Shakhbout Medical City hospital for their constant support to us," said Aatreyee.

Meanwhile, Deeptanshu's close friend Niranjan, a student at a Dubai university, who was behind the wheel and suffered critical head injuries, continues to be in the ICU. His family has also been struggling to cope with the tragedy.

Light of the family

Nabanipa's pet name was Diaa (which means lamp or light). Aatreyee described her daughter as the light of the family and as the "connecting dot" in the family.

"She was my pride, the light of my life, my best friend and at times my counsellor. She was just everything to us. Our lives revolved around her," she recalled.

For her father Diganta Sinha, Diaa also represented his mother's presence around him.

"She was not only my pride, but also a source of motivation and inspiration to carry on. She spread immense happiness in the family by her conduct and achievements," the grieving father said.

Aatreyee said Nabanipa had been especially close to her brother.

"They were inseparable," she said.

She also remembered Nabanipa as someone who was "pure at heart", straightforward and hardworking.

Outstanding student

Second topper in commerce stream at her school, Nabanipa had been looking forward to starting university and had earned a 50% scholarship to join her Honours course in accounting and finance at a university in Dubai.

She had been academically outstanding and was supposed to complete the equivalent of a four-year course in three years after receiving exemptions based on her academic record.

Nabanipa's funeral was held at New Sonapur Crematorium in Jebel Ali, Dubai, on August 18.

Second fatality on same route

Nabanipa's is the second fatality reported on the same route within a year.

As reported by Gulf News in March 2025, another Indian expat, Sarath Sasidharan, 36, died in a road accident while travelling with four friends to Al Quaa.

The group was heading to the desert camping destination to see the Milky Way when their car reportedly skidded and rolled over at around 11pm.

Sarath died, while some of the other occupants suffered minor injuries and the vehicle's owner was hospitalised in stable condition.