Latest news with #Nganthoi
The Print
a day ago
- 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
a day ago
- 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 .
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Ahmedabad plane crash: ‘Her phone still rings' - Manipur family clings to hope for 20-year-old cabin crew
NEW DELHI: In a quiet home in Manipur, grief and hope wage a silent, desperate war. The phone rings. Again. And again. No one picks up. The number belongs to Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a 20-year-old cabin crew member aboard Air India Flight AI 171, which crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. For her family in Manipur's Thoubal district, every unanswered call deepens the dread, but also keeps a flicker of hope alive. 'Her phone rang several times. The internet is still on. It's still receiving signals. That means something, doesn't it?' says K Khenjita, a close relative, told news agency PTI. The London-bound Boeing 787 had 242 people on board. It stayed airborne for barely half a minute. Then it was gone - crashing into a doctors' hostel, leaving behind a trail of fire, twisted steel, and unimaginable loss. As the news of the crash spread, a piercing wail rose from the Sharma residence. Nganthoi's family had last heard from her just before takeoff. 'I'm going to London. In a few minutes, we'll take off. We may not be able to talk for a while,' read the message. They didn't know those words might be her last. 'She always feared plane crashes' Nganthoi was not new to the skies. She had worked as cabin crew with Air India for three years, ever since she got selected at a recruitment drive in Imphal, while still pursuing her undergraduate studies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Metal Roof Upgrade Alert – Is Your Zip Code on the New Approval List? Metal Roof USA Learn More Undo She was based in Mumbai, a city she had grown to love. But her cousin reveals a chilling memory: 'She once told me she was terrified of plane crashes. She didn't know what she'd do if she was in one. That fear haunted her.' Today, that fear has turned into the family's nightmare. Inside the house, her youngest sister, a student of Class 9, sits frozen, while her eldest sister, a private school teacher, tries to shield the rest of the family from the blizzard of unverified reports flooding social media. 'There's fake news going around that she has died. People are sharing her photos, videos ... without any confirmation. We're struggling for real information, and these posts just make everything worse,' says a cousin, her voice cracking with frustration. Nganthoi a middle child, loved the sky, even if she feared it. Her family remembers her as bright, responsible, and full of life—a girl who 'tried her luck' at an airline interview and ended up flying halfway across the world. Now, her family waits for any shred of news. Two of her relatives, one based in Delhi, another in Chandigarh, are rushing to Ahmedabad, hoping to find her, identify her, or at least confirm the unbearable. 'We stopped calling her around 6 pm,' said Khenjita. 'We were scared the phone battery would die. That ringtone ... it felt like she was still somewhere, waiting.' The official list of casualties is yet to be released. And until the phone goes silent, they believe she might still be alive.
