Strife-torn Manipur prays for safety of Kuki, Meitei cabin members
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Guwahati: Two years after a bloody conflict between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur left over 250 dead and scores displaced, Manipur on Thursday were praying for Lamnunthiem Singson, a Kuki Zo and Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailakpam, a Meitei girl, both part of the 10-member cabin crew on board the ill-fated Air India flight.
Hoping against all odds for some positive news, families of the relatives of two girls from Manipur said with no official communication coming, all they can do was remain glued to television sets.
The families have tried calling phone numbers, but the countless attempts have been futile and in a desparate attempt have sent their members staying in Delhi to Ahmedabad.
"We heard about the disaster, but we do not know anything about her.
No one has contacted us and given us any official information. We are just praying," 26-year-old Lamnunthiem's brother Ngambom told TOI, pleading whether the newspaper had any news about his sister.
He said that Lamnunthiem made a call to their mother early morning just before boarding the flight, as she always does before reporting for duty, mostly on international flights.
Lamnunthiem, 26, from the Kuki-Zo community is an internally-displaced person from Imphal.
A year-long ethnic conflict that has left scores dead in Manipur, her family currently stays in Kangpokpi.
The other girl, 20-year-old Meitei girl Nganthoi is from Thoubal district.
"We called her up several times after receiving the news but nobody picked up the calls. The internet on her phone is also still on. However, we stopped calling her around 6 pm fearing it would drain the battery," Nganthoi's relative, K Khenjita, told reporters.
A cousin of the cabin crew member said her last message before take-off was, "I'm going to London. In a few minutes, we'll take off. We may not be able to talk for a while."
Locals were shocked to hear the news of the crash in Awang Leikai in Thoubal, as the news of the crash reached the Sharma residence.
Another relative said they were trying to get news about her and said her photos and videos are being widely shared.
"It is really hurting us all as we are trying to balance our emotional trauma along with the challenge to get news," she said.
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