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Time of India
42 minutes ago
- General
- Time of India
When legs gave way, tears kept streaming down her face: A sister pays tearful homage after Air India crash
Ahmedabad: An eerie silence fell over the charred crash site, broken only by the distant wail of emergency vehicles. The scorching sun beat down, and a sickening scent of burnt wire and aircraft debris hung heavy - a constant, acrid reminder of the tragedy. Amid this grim tableau, another sound rose: the raw, heart-wrenching wails of two young Manipuri women performing a sacred ceremony for their beloved lost ones. Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, 20, and Lamnunthem Singson, 26 - bright, promising Air India cabin crew - had vanished into the inferno. As they entered the hostel gate, stepping carefully amid scattered debris and blackened walls, one young woman's legs gave way. She dropped to the ground near a solitary tree, her body shaking with silent sobs that soon erupted into guttural cries, her face buried in her hands. The other knelt beside her, a hand resting gently on her back, her own eyes brimming. Both, in their twenties, wore faces etched with profound grief - a fragile mix of stoicism and devastation. Their glistening eyes held a distant, trance-like focus. Their trembling hands moved with purpose, preparing for the ceremony: an incense stick, a vibrant yellow marigold garland, a pristine white towel, among a few other things. The ceremony was performed by Khenjita Geetanjali Devi, sister, and Ngamlienlal Kipgen, cousin of the air hostesses, sources said. The air, heavy with the scent of smoke, despair, and burnt wreckage, slowly filled with fragrant incense as one of the women, her voice a fragile whisper that swelled into a potent lament, began to chant ancient Manipuri words. It wasn't a soft prayer; it was potent, deliberate wailing, possibly a Thawaimi Kousinba - a calling and collection of the soul, as IB Singh, a Manipuri local, explained to ET. A man, possibly another relative accompanying them, moved slowly, spreading the purifying smoke, his eyes red-rimmed and unfocused. The white cloth was folded with immense tenderness and rocked five times, like a mother cradling her baby - a desperate attempt to coax the departed spirits back. Live Events "In our Manipuri, particularly Meitei culture, if a family member dies in a bus accident, vehicle accident, or plane crash, the family must try to collect the soul from the very spot where the person died. That is called Thawaimi Kousinba," Singh said. Without the ritual, the soul is believed to remain trapped, unable to pass on, possibly causing disturbances and obstructions. The ceremony helps free the soul, allowing it to ascend peacefully and eventually be reborn. Clutching the white cloth to her chest, the young woman sobbed uncontrollably before carefully laying it on the ground. She clenched the brown paper bag that carried the Turkish towel, her head hung low, tears still streaming down her face. Even Air India's support staff found their own eyes welling up. Hardened policemen and women nearby, typically unmoved, quietly softened, touched by the raw, unfiltered grief that filled the air. As she looked back once again, for those present, the scene was no longer distant or procedural - it was profoundly, painfully human.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- General
- Gulf Today
22-year-old Manipuri air hostess among crew killed in Air India crash
Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, 22, hailing from Manipur's Thoubal, was a member of the cabin crew of the London-bound Air India flight, carrying over 240 passengers, that crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. Family members and officials of the Manipur government are trying to collect the details of Sharma, as there was no information on her fate, as per local media in Imphal. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed shock and grief over the plane crash. "The Hon'ble Governor of Manipur has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic and shocking incident of an aircraft crash that occurred during a flight from Ahmedabad to London. He has prayed to the Almighty for the speedy recovery of all those injured in this unfortunate mishap," the Raj Bhavan said on its X handle. Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma poses for a photograph in Air India attire. Biren Singh, in an X post, said: "I am deeply shocked and grieved by the tragic Air India flight crash near Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, this afternoon. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, carried 242 people on board. This heartbreaking incident has shaken the entire nation. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families during this unimaginably difficult time." Chief Ministers of all northeastern states – Assam (Himanta Biswa Sarma), Tripura (Manik Saha), Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu), Meghalaya (Conrad K. Sangma), Nagaland (Neiphiu Rio), Mizoram (Lalduhoma) – in separate posts in their X handles expressed deep shock over the plane crash. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), on its way to London, with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, crashed a few minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, were temporarily suspended after the accident, but resumed after a few hours. Indo-Asian News Service
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Two Air India Flight 171 cabin crew members who died on doomed flight pictured
Two female cabin crew members who died in the horror Air India Flight 171 crash have been pictured for the first time - all 12 crew members on the doomed plane were tragically killed Two cabin crew members who died on the doomed Air India Flight 171 have bene pictured for the first time. There were 12 crew members among those who perished when the aircraft crashed into a fireball just minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad, in the north west of India, on Thursday. The families of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Singson Lamnunthem, from Manipur in the east of the country, have been left devastated by the horror news. 241 of the 242 passengers onboard tragically died when the aircraft, bound for Gatwick Airport, crashed into the densely populated Meghani area at around 1.40om local time yesterday. One of Singson's family members heartbreakingly shared that their last conversation was brief and the cabin crew member said she was flying to London. Originally from Old Lambulane in Imphal West, Singson had moved to the Kangpokpi district after she was displaced by a continuing conflict in her home town which has raged since May 2023. Having joined Air India's cabin crew in 2023, her family had also been forced to relocate due to the violence. Her family said they are anxiously waiting official confirmation about her fate but Indian authorities have already confirmed a British man was the sole survivor of the terrifying crash. Local media revealed Kongbrailatpam family, in the Thoubal district of Manipur, had been left too grief-stricken to speak following the tragedy. Local politician Surjakumar Okram visited the family home and said: "We are still trying to trace Nganthoi." The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just moments after it took off and terrifying footage caught the moment it fireballed. Shortly after take-off, the crew issued a "mayday" distress call, indicating an emergency situation. The captain, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience, desperately said: "Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift." However, no further communication was received from the aircraft after the initial alert. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that it lost the signal from the aircraft just seconds after it became airborne. The only survivor for the shocking air disaster was British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. He described how the lights one the plane "started flickering" before it hit the ground. The 40-year-old, who said he sat in seat 11a, told the Hindustan Times: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there." He added: "I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me … I walked out of the rubble."
India Today
a day ago
- General
- India Today
20-year-old student, newly engaged couple among those killed in Air India crash
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 which crashed within few minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad had 242 people on board including 12 crew of the 242 people on board, 241 were killed in the disaster. The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is presently undergoing treatment.20-year-old Rudra was going to London for further studies after passing 12th. He was a resident of Kheda's Mahemdavad. Earlier, Rudra had applied for Canada but when he did not get the visa, he applied for London Student Visa and got it. Rudra from Kheda's Mahemdavad advertisement Among the cabin crew were Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Singson Lamnunthem from Nganthoi Sharma was a resident of Thoubal district, Lamnunthem who originally belonged to Old Lambulane in Imphal West, had been residing in the Kangpokpi district due to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state.'Our family last spoke to her on Wednesday. She said she was flying to London. That was the last time we heard from her. She joined Air India as cabin crew in 2023,' said Goulun Singson, a relative of Lamnunthem while speaking to India Today. Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma (L) and Singson Lamnunthem (R) advertisementNeeraj Lavania a resident of Agra in Uttar Pradesh died in the crash along with wife. He lived Vadodara's Feather Sky Vikas Colony with his family. Neeraj Lavania and his wife Another crew member, Roshni Songhare from Dombivli in Maharashtra was also among those who lost their lives in the tragic crash. Roshni Songhare Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, who was travelling to London was also killed in the crash. He was booked in the Z class, which falls under the Business Class category.A couple from Banswara in Rajasthan, who were travelling with their three kids to London,were also among the victims. They have been identified as Pratik Joshi, his wife Komi Vyas, their twin sons Pradyut and Nakul, and their eldest daughter Miraya. Pratik Joshi, Komi Vyas, their twin sons and daughter A newly engaged couple was also travelling in the ill-fated flight. Hardikbhai Avaiya and his would-be wife Vibhutiben were working and studying in London. Hardikbhai Avaiya and Vibhutiben Ranjitha, a native of Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala was one among the passengers who died in the crash. She was working as a nurse in the UK. Ranjitha A woman Harpreet Kaur Hora from Indore died in the plane crash in Ahmedabad. She was traveling to london to celebrate her husband's birthday. Harpreet Kaur Hora along with her husband advertisementA young girl named Payal Khatik from Himmatnagar, who was on her maiden flight was killed in the crash. She worked in a private company and was traveling to London on behalf of her employer. Payal Khatik Arjun Patolia, a 36-year-old man, who came from London to perform the last rites of his wife, was killed in the crash. Arjun Patolia Tune InTrending Reel
India.com
2 days ago
- General
- India.com
Ahmedabad Crash: Manipuri Woman Among Crew Of London-Bound Air India Flight
IMPHAL: Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, hailing from Manipur's Thoubal, was a member of the cabin crew of the London-bound Air India flight, carrying over 240 passengers, that crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. Family members and officials of the Manipur government are trying to collect the details of Sharma, as there was no information on her fate, as per local media in Imphal. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed shock and grief over the plane crash. "The Hon'ble Governor of Manipur has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic and shocking incident of an aircraft crash that occurred during a flight from Ahmedabad to London. He has prayed to the Almighty for the speedy recovery of all those injured in this unfortunate mishap," the Raj Bhavan said on its X handle. Biren Singh, in an X post, said: "I am deeply shocked and grieved by the tragic Air India flight crash near Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, this afternoon. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, carried 242 people on board. This heartbreaking incident has shaken the entire nation. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families during this unimaginably difficult time." Chief Ministers of all northeastern states – Assam (Himanta Biswa Sarma), Tripura (Manik Saha), Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu), Meghalaya (Conrad K. Sangma), Nagaland (Neiphiu Rio), Mizoram (Lalduhoma) – in separate posts in their X handles expressed deep shock over the plane crash. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), on its way to London, with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, crashed a few minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, were temporarily suspended after the accident, but resumed after a few hours.
