Divided by conflict, 2 Manipur families now bound by grief—a Kuki & a Meitei were among AI 171 crew

The Print

20 hours ago

Hatred earlier separated the families, but what bound them together on the day of the deadly crash was their shared grief over the possible loss of a loved one, and the hope that the women were still alive. Both families continue to wait for official confirmation from the authorities about the fate of the two crew members.
New Delhi: Among the 10 cabin crew members on board Air India Flight 171 flying from Ahmedabad to London Thursday were two young women from conflict-ridden Manipur—a Kuki and a Meitei. Far from the ongoing conflict that divided their home state, both were working together as flight crew.
The Kuki woman, Lamnunthen Singson, originally from Imphal, was displaced in the conflict and forced to move with her family to Kangpokpi in the hills. The Meitei woman, Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, is from Thoubal town, Manipur.
Speaking to ThePrint, Nnemg, the sister of Singson, said the family had been watching the horrific visuals of the crash but still did not want to believe that Singson was no more.
'I spoke to her this morning before she was to board the flight. She said she was going to London. I can't believe this. I can not say anything more. We are still waiting for official information from Ahmedabad,' Nnemg told ThePrint. 'She joined Air India three years ago.'
Speaking to ThePrint over a call, Gitanjali, the elder sister of Air India crew member Nganthoi, said the family was still 'in the dark', more so because there is no internet in the valley after the violence Saturday over the arrest of Kanan Singh, a senior member of the Meitei body Arambai Tenggol, and the detention of four of his associates.
'We are in the dark. There is no Internet here, so we don't know much. We are only getting calls from our cousin, a brother who lives in Delhi. He said we have to give blood samples for the identification [of Nganthoi]. We might leave tomorrow,' Gitanjali said.
'We know for sure she was on the flight, but no confirmation from Air India yet on her condition. My parents remain very worried. The situation is grim,' she added.
Nganthoi, 21, joined Air India as a crew member in 2023. It was her first job after completing Class 12 and training. She has two siblings and parents.
A total of 242 people, including two pilots and 10 crew members, were on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday noon. The flight was bound for Gatwick Airport in London.
According to a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) statement, 'On 12 Jun, M/s Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 (from Ahmedabad to Gatwick), crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew. The aircraft was under the command of Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The co-pilot had 1100 hours of flying experience.'
The aircraft had taken off at 1.38 pm from runway 23. Right after takeoff, it placed a mayday call to Air Traffic Control (ATC), but thereafter, the aircraft gave no response, the DGCA said. Most people on board the aircraft are feared dead.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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