DNA Of Manipur Flight Attendant Matched, Family To Bring Body Via Dimapur
Guwahati:
The body of one of the two flight attendants from Manipur who was killed in the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad has been identified from DNA samples, the family has said.
The family of Lamnunthem Singson will take her body from Ahmedabad to Dimapur in Nagaland first, and then by road from Dimapur to their rented house in Manipur's Kangpokpi, some 165 km away.
After the authorities confirmed the DNA sample match, the family said arrangements are being made to transport the body to Dimapur on Thursday morning. The exact flight schedule is yet to be worked out, they said.
The loss of their loved one in the Dreamliner crash has left not only the family of Lamnunthem heartbroken and devastated, but members of the Thadou tribe in Kangpokpi too, many of whom visited the family to pay respects and offer condolences.
Lamnunthem and her family once lived in Imphal's Old Lambulane, but had to leave after ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023. Since then, her family has been living in Kangpokpi district as internally displaced persons, or IDPs.
The other flight attendant from Manipur who was killed in the crash was K Nganthoi Sharma, who lived in Thoubal district. Her family is still waiting for a DNA match.
The Manipur government on June 16 said it was fully prepared to receive the bodies of the two flight attendants at Imphal airport, and "necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that their remains are treated with the highest dignity and respect, and subsequently transported safely to their respective homes."
"However, the final decision regarding the mode of reception, ceremonies and other arrangements is respectfully left to the bereaved families. The state is committed to providing all necessary support as per their wishes," the government said.
PRESS NOTE
Imphal, 16ᵗʰ June 2025
Tragic Loss of Two Brave Manipuri Daughters in Ahmedabad Plane Crash - preparations regarding receiving their mortal remains.
It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that the Government and people of Manipur mourn the untimely and tragic... pic.twitter.com/X1HPUPelqG
— Government of Manipur (@govt_of_manipur) June 16, 2025
Civil society organisations in the state capital Imphal had also sought cooperation from the public to ensure access to the airport to members of all communities, and assured free movement.
The news website The Print reported that Lamnunthem's cousin, N Kipgen, said the family doesn't want her body to be brought via Imphal and is willing to take the longer route via Dimapur.
"We do not want to politicise my sister's remains. We requested the authorities to take the Dimapur route because our extended family is there. Secondly, it is not safe for us to travel via Imphal under any circumstances," N Kipgen told The Print before the DNA sample match confirmation came. "We are patiently waiting for the DNA results. We do not know how long we have to wait, but we do not want to be a spectacle."
A joint meeting of civil society organisations in Kangpokpi, however, decided that Kuki Students' Organisation members will receive the body at Dimapur airport in Nagaland, from where they will escort the remains on National Highway 2 to Manipur's Kangpokpi.
In Kangpokpi, the town committee will form a human chain and hold a candlelight vigil till Lamnunthem's place.
'Some Running Narrative, Unfortunate'
The Thadou Students' Association (TSA) on June 16 had expressed concern over what it called were "false narratives circulating on social media, including claims that Imphal airport is inaccessible for the family of late Lamnunthem Singson."
"... It is also unfortunate that some vested interests/individuals/organisations are politicising the issue for their own interests, which are best known to them. TSA would like to reiterate that this is not a time to propagate your own narrative for scoring brownie points but rather to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. We urge the government to monitor and act firmly against those spreading hateful comments or rumors during this sensitive time," TSA secretary general Thangminlun Haokip had said.
The civil society organisation, Meitei Heritage Society, on Wednesday said running narratives "is immoral and simply wrong to exploit this human tragedy for a vested interest by playing politics over bodies."
"We urge these groups to show some humanity and spare the families of the departed souls for their dirty politics. Instead, let's come together to mourn the deaths of our state's daughters who died in their line of duties and honour them with dignity, who greatly deserved such love and respect, in their final trip back home," a MHS spokesperson told reporters.
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