Latest news with #LamnunthiemSingson
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Kuki AI-171 hostess's body to be handed over via Nagaland
The body of Air India cabin crew member Lamnunthiem Singson, 25, will be handed over to her family on Thursday, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday, after her body was identified through DNA profiling. Members of the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Kangpokpi (Manipur), said that Singson's body will be taken to the conflict-torn state via Dimapur airport at 1.30 pm. 'For reasons of safety, the family wished that the mortal remains should not be received in Imphal and brought via Meitei areas to Kangpokpi (hill district). Instead, mortal remains will be received at the Dimapur (Nagaland) airport and then be brought via road to Kangpokpi. Relatives and KSO representatives will start for Dimapur early morning and be there to receive the mortal remains,' said K Shongreng, general secretary of Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Kangpokpi unit. To be sure, top police officers and government authorities had on Monday and Tuesday met the family and offered a security convoy from Imphal Valley to Kangpokpi, where they are based, if they wish to receive the body at the Imphal airport. Singson's family used to live in Imphal's New Lambulane area, but fled to the hill district of Kangpopki after the conflict broke out in May 2023. Meities too fled the hill districts and retreated to the valley. These enclaves are now protected by local militia with central security forces only acting as a buffer. Meanwhile, the family of another cabin crew from Manipur, Nganthoi K Sharma, said they are yet to get a positive report from the Ahmedabad civil hospital about a positive DNA match. 'We request the authorities to expedite the process. Our families are also waiting back home,' Nganthoi's sister, Geetanjali said. Nganthoi K Sharma, was a Meitei. Lamnunthiem Singson, was a Kuki-Zo. As of Wednesday evening, the mortal remains of at least 170 victims have been handed over to their families, said Dr Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. He said that the authorities have contacted 202 relatives of the deceased so far.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Death of cabin crew members blurs Kuki-Meitei divide
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: In the heart of Manipur, profound sorrow has woven its way through the fabric of a community long divided by conflict. The tragic loss of the two cabin crew members — a Kuki and a Meitei — in Thursday's Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has momentarily eclipsed the strife between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, uniting them in shared grief. Ever since the news of the crash broke on Thursday afternoon, family members began prayers 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. A day later, civil society organisations and individuals have come forward, offering their support, while social media has become a canvas for heartfelt condolences and prayers for the young souls lost too soon. "People of Manipur are collectively heartbroken, leaving aside the narrow community lines. Our state has been divided for over two years on ethnic lines. Tragically, in their death, the angels of the sky brought together the two communities and left a grim reminder of how precious human lives are and the need for peaceful coexistence, as we have done for centuries," a spokesperson for the Delhi-based Meitei Heritage Society said. Nganthoi's relatives rushed to Ahmedabad on Friday for a DNA test after authorities asked her cousin N Khenjita to fly down. Family members of Kuki cabin crew Lamnunthiem Singson are also in Ahmedabad for similar tests. "In their passing, they have become angels of the sky, reminding us of the preciousness of human life and the urgent need for peace," he added. In a gesture of remembrance, the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) in Delhi announced a candlelight march to honour all victims of the crash. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the grieving families, particularly noting the plight of Singson, who was the sole breadwinner for her family displaced by ethnic violence. Her family, now residing in a rented house in Kangpokpi, faces an uncertain future without her. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. From politicians to everyday citizens, both within Manipur and beyond, expressions of disbelief and sorrow have flooded in. One 'X' user said, "In life, they came from communities divided by conflict, and in death, they remind us that, in the end, we all share the same fate." Manipur Congress leader Lamtinthang Haokip took to social media to honour the young women, offering his deepest condolences to their families. "May their souls rest in peace," he wrote, echoing the sentiments of a community united in mourning by the shared loss of two bright stars extinguished too soon. Former chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted late on Thursday, saying how two young girls from Manipur, a Kuki-Zo and Meitei had possibly lost their lives in the Ahmedabad air crash. "It is heartbreaking to share that two young cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among those who lost their lives in today's Air India crash in Ahmedabad," he wrote on 'X'. "Both were full of life, serving with dedication and pride. Their sudden passing is a huge loss for their families, friends, and for all of us back home," he wrote, adding: "May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain. " Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
