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Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Cabin crew member's remains reach Imphal 10 days after Air India crash
Imphal: The mortal remains of 22-year-old cabin crew member Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma from Manipur, who was killed in the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, arrived at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal on Sunday afternoon. A procession carrying Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma's remains moved from the airport towards her hometown, as people lined the roads to offer floral tributes and bid farewell to the young woman Nganthoi's family members flew with her remains on an IndiGo flight from Delhi. Officials from the civil aviation department and aerodrome staff received the body at Imphal airport around 1 pm. Nganthoi was among the 12 cabin crew members on board AI Flight 171 when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. The London-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers when it crashed moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one passenger from the flight survived. Another Manipur resident, 28-year-old Lamnunthem Singson, a Kuki cabin crew member, was also among the deceased. Her mortal remains reached her hometown in Kangpokpi district on late Thursday night. A solemn floral tribute ceremony was held inside the airport premises, where civil aviation staff, family, friends, and leaders, including chief secretary PK Singh, director general of police Rajiv Singh, Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, and Thoubal MLA Surjakumar Okram paid their respects. Nganthoi, a native of Thoubal Makha Leikai in Thoubal district, had been serving as a flight attendant with Air India for over five years. Her body was identified earlier in the week through forensic methods and was flown to Imphal on Sunday. A procession carrying her remains moved from the airport towards her hometown, as people lined the roads to offer floral tributes and bid farewell to the young woman, remembered for her warmth and dedication to service. Tributes have poured in from community leaders, student unions, and women's organisations who remembered her as a 'daughter of the soil' and a 'symbol of courage and aspiration'. The final rites were conducted according to Meitei rituals with community participation. Expressing condolences, MP Akoijam Bimol said, 'The tragic loss of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi has deeply saddened all of Manipur. Her dedication and service will be remembered. We stand with her family during this time of immense grief.'
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Time of India
DNA confirms AI crew member Nganthoi's identity
Guwahati: The identity of the cabin crew member on the ill-fated Ahmedabad-London Air India flight, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma of Manipur, has finally been confirmed after a DNA match, her family members said on Saturday. Manipur lost two of its daughters — Nganthoi (20) and Lamnunthem Singson (26) — who were among the crew members aboard the Air India flight that crashed on June 12. Nganthoi's sister Gitanjali told TOI from Ahmedabad on Saturday that the authorities have confirmed her identity among the deceased in the Air India flight crash. "DNA of my sister has matched with our family. We have got the confirmation today after a long wait," said Gitanjali. One of Nganthoi's family members said they are expecting to bring her mortal remains to Imphal on Sunday. It was a patient wait of more than a week by the family members of Nganthoi, a Meitei girl, for the confirmation of her mortal remains through DNA match. Gitanjali and a few of her family members have been camping in Ahmedabad since June 13. "Air India is arranging our return to Imphal with Nganthoi's mortal remains. We are not sure in which flight we are coming. It may be through a connecting flight to Imphal," the family member said.
Scroll.in
14-06-2025
- Scroll.in
Air India crash: Divided Manipur unites in grief at death of two crew members – one Kuki, one Meitei
Manipur has come together to mourn the deaths of two of citizens – one Kuki and one Meitei – who were among the ten cabin crew members onboard the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The crash killed all but one of the 241 of the people aboard. The exact number of people killed on the ground has yet to be determined by on Friday the police said they had sent 265 bodies for postmortems. Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, 21, was from Thoubal district. Lamnunthem Singson, 28, had been displaced from Manipur's capital Imphal by the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 and was living in the Kuki-dominated hill district of Kangpokpi. The conflict between Manipur's two major communities, the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, has left 260 people dead and displaced more than 70,000 people from their homes. Manipur's civil society groups across the chasm have expressed their sorrow at the deaths. 'They worked side by side in the skies, representing unity in diversity – a symbol of hope and harmony amidst today's troubled times,' said the North East Society at Ambedkar University Delhi in a statement. On Saturday, The Sangai Express, the most widely circulated English daily in the state, published an editorial on June 14 titled 'Saluting Nganthoi, Lamnunthem: Joining Hands in Grief.' 'A sort of a cruel hand of nature it is that in the death of a young Meitei girl and a young Kuki girl, people of Manipur came together to pour out their sadness and grief,' it said. '…In death the two young girls managed to do what the political wizards, the word jugglers, the social leaders have failed to do for over 730 days - bring the Kukis and the Meiteis on the same page.' Heartfelt Condolences 🙏🏻 💔 Life is truly unpredictable, and this tragedy reminds us of how fleeting and uncertain time can be. We mourn the untimely loss of NGANTHOI SHARMA KONGBRAILATPAM, an airhostess from MANIPUR, who was among those on the ill-fated AIR INDIA FLIGHT that… — Diana// ꯗꯤꯑꯅꯥ (@diana_warep) June 12, 2025 The deaths have left the women's relatives devastated. Nganthoi's father was at home when he first heard about the plane crash. 'The internet was suspended in Manipur because of the conflict,' Nandesh Kumar Sharma, told Scroll. 'Some friends who works in the CID [police unit] told me that my daughter's photo and name were on the list of the cabin crew members. He asked if it was true. Since then, all we've heard is news of loss and tragedy.' A couple of hours before the take-off, Nganthoi had informed her family that she would be on the flight to London. Sharma made several calls to his daughter. 'Her phone rang until midnight... but there was no response,' he said. 'Eventually, it switched off.' Later, the family heard that only one person on the plane had survived the crash. 'We were just waiting,' Sharma said. 'Out of my three daughters, one is gone,' Sharma said. 'We're now waiting for her last rites. Her mother and younger sister have stopped eating and drinking. My elder daughter and some relatives have gone to Gujarat for DNA testing and to bring back her mortal remains.' Since the bodies of those who perished in the crash are badly charred, DNA has to be collected from relatives to help establish identities. The family's last communication with Nganthoi was a message at around 11 am on Thursday, saying she would be flying to London. For the past two years, Nganthoi had been supporting her family financially. Her father works as a cook, while her elder sister is a teacher at a private school. 'She contributed 50% towards building our new home and helped fund her younger sister's education,' her cousin Twinkle told Scroll. 'She also paid for her parents' medical bills.' She last visited her family on March 17, when her father was in hospital. 'It was a surprise visit – she loved giving surprises.' Twinkle said. 'She stayed for three-four days and then returned to Mumbai, where she lived.' Nganthoi had joined Air India in April 2023 when she was 19 years. 'There was a recruitment drive in Manipur for cabin crew,' Twinkle said. 'Some of her friends invited her to come along, and she was selected for training and later became part of the cabin crew.' Like many others, her family has also suffered due to the ethnic conflict. 'Manipur is bearing deep losses,' said Nandesh Kumar Sharma. 'We live under constant fear and violence. It's dangerous to even step outside, as the situation can turn violent at any moment.' Although the Sharma family have not spoken directly to the Kuki family that also lost their daughter in the crash, Nandesh Kumar Sharma said he knows both families are united in grief and prayer. 'We [the Kuki and Meitei communities] don't talk at home, but my daughter and [Lamnunthem Singson] worked together like friends in other states,' Nandesh Kumar Sharma said. 'I pray that the souls of both girls are at peace. I saw on the news that the Kuki family is also praying, just like us.' My beloved cousin sister Lamnunthem Singson, a cabin crew member lost in the Ahmedabad crash, was a devoted @ManUtd fan. Her last whats app status: 'POV: Playing 'A Change is Gonna Come.'' She believed in comebacks for next season- but fate had other plans. RIP Lil Sis #AI171 — Hen Kuki (@HennaryL) June 12, 2025 Meanwhile, members of Singson's have also arrived in Ahmedabad for DNA testing. Singson hailed from Old Lambulane in Imphal but had been living as an internally displaced person in Kangpokpi as a result of the conflict. She had joined Air India in 2024. 'Her untimely death is a great loss to her family and the Thadou community,' Thadou Students' Association said in a statement on Friday as it mourned the deaths of two girls. 'May their souls rest in peace.' The Thadous are a Kuki community that speak the Thadou language. A cousin of Singson, T Thanlingo Haokip, told the BBC that she was the only breadwinner in the family. 'Her brother has cancer, and her father has passed away,' he said. 'The family was completely dependent on her. Her death is an immense loss.' Martin Thokchom, the owner of a bookstore in Imphal, reflected the state's sorrow in a poem posted on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Martin Thokchom (@martin_thokchom)
The Print
12-06-2025
- The Print
Divided by conflict, 2 Manipur families now bound by grief—a Kuki & a Meitei were among AI 171 crew
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) Also Read: Air India crash: Army deploys more than 100 jawans to assist rescue ops in Ahmedabad
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Strife-torn Manipur prays for safety of Kuki, Meitei cabin members
1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 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 .
