Latest news with #Lamnunthem
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Body of A-I crew member brought to Kangpokpi from Dimapur
The body of Lamnunthem Singson, one of the crew members of the Air India flight which crashed on June 12, arrived late Thursday in Manipur's Kangpokpi district from neighbouring Nagaland's Dimapur airport. Holding candles, people in Kangpokpi town formed a human chain all the way till her residence. Her body was flown from Ahemedabad this afternoon after her DNA sample was matched with one of her three brothers. Lamnunthem's body was supposed to be brought to Imphal airport. The state had made preparations to transport it to Kangpokpi. The Coordination Committee on Manipur's Integrity (COCOCMI), an influential Meitei body, also announced its co-operation for safe transportation of the body. The family, however, chose to bring the body from Dimapur. 'The decision was taken by her family… We want to avoid unnecessary political overtones over our deceased daughter's coffin,' said Ng Lun Kipgen, one of Lamnunthem's uncles. Lamnunthem was one of two crew members who died in the crash. The other was 21-year-old Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam from Thoubal town.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Manipur flight attendant's body identified; Family to bring remains via Dimapur
The body of Lamnunthem Singson, one of two flight attendants from Manipur killed in the recent Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, has been formally identified through DNA testing, her family confirmed. In an emotional response to the confirmation, the family shared that arrangements are underway to bring her remains to Dimapur, Nagaland, on Thursday morning. From there, the body will be taken by road to Kangpokpi in Manipur, where the family currently resides after being displaced from Imphal due to ethnic violence in May 2023. Lamnunthem, originally from Old Lambulane in Imphal, had been living in Kangpokpi with her family as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Her untimely death has deeply affected both her immediate family and the larger Thadou tribal community, who have been visiting the family to offer condolences. The choice to avoid Imphal airport, despite state assurances of a dignified reception, is rooted in security concerns. "We do not want to politicise my sister's remains... it is not safe for us to travel via Imphal," said her cousin N Kipgen. He also emphasized the family's desire to maintain dignity without becoming a public spectacle. A joint meeting of civil society groups in Kangpokpi resolved that members of the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) would receive the body at Dimapur airport. The remains will then be escorted through National Highway 2 to Kangpokpi, where a human chain and candlelight vigil will be held in her honour. Meanwhile, the family of the second flight attendant from Manipur, K Nganthoi Sharma of Thoubal district, continues to wait for DNA confirmation. The Manipur government stated on June 16 that it is ready to receive both bodies with full respect and has left the final decision on logistics and ceremonies to the bereaved families. While many have come together in solidarity, civil society groups such as the Thadou Students' Association (TSA) and the Meitei Heritage Society (MHS) have expressed concerns about politically motivated narratives circulating on social media. TSA called for restraint and unity during this time of grief. MHS also urged people to show humanity and avoid exploiting this tragedy for political ends. Both organisations emphasized the need to honour the deceased with dignity, noting their service and sacrifice. As Lamnunthem's final journey begins, her story is not just one of personal loss, but a reflection of a state still navigating deep divisions—and the human cost that often follows.
NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
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... — 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.
NDTV
12-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Manipur Mourns Loss Of 2 Young Flight Attendants In Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi: Manipur lost two young professionals in the Air India plane crash in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday. The families are devastated by the huge loss. Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson worked with the Tata-owned airline as flight attendants. Both were in their early 20s. Nganthoi Sharma, a resident of Thoubal district, joined the airline in April 2023 after Air India selected her during campus recruitment at DM College of Commerce in the state capital Imphal. 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. Nganthoi Sharma's father, K Nandeshkumar, and mother are in trauma and could not gather the strength to speak. Nganthoi Sharma was the second of three siblings, all girls. "It was her dream to become a flight attendant. We couldn't chat on video as usual due to the internet ban. But she messaged me while I was in school that she would be flying to London today, and that she would be unreachable," Nganthoi Sharma's elder sister Gitanjali told NDTV. "She said she would return on 15 June. I wished her a safe flight and told her we'd contact her when we get the internet connection back. Then we heard of the plane crash from an aunt on the phone. She said an Air India flight had crashed in Ahmedabad; the plane was going to London. This is how we confirmed it," Gitanjali said and broke down. Internet had been snapped in some valley areas after protests broke out over the arrest of an Arambai Tenggol member last week. "After completing Class 12, she enrolled in DM College of Commerce. She was very keen on trying for a cabin crew job. She cracked it in her first try; she was very happy in thinking about going to many destinations," Gitanjali said. Lamnunthem Singson's Family In Kangpokpi Devastated In Kangpokpi district, where Lamnunthem's family lives, a heavy silence cloaked Ngambom Veng amid a gathering of residents at the small rented house of the family displaced by the ethnic conflict. The community came not only to offer prayers, but to stand by a mother whose heart waited for a word, a confirmation, a hope that her daughter might still return. Lamnunthem's mother, Nemneilhing Singson, held on to the last conversation she had with her daughter less than 24 hours ago, "I'm travelling to Ahmedabad to report for duty." Her words carried sorrow and also the faint light of a mother's hope - that perhaps, against all odds, her daughter might still come home. Lamnunthem was the only daughter in a family of three siblings. Her father Lenminlun Singson died some years ago, and her mother single handedly raised the children alone. Today, the warmth of the community enveloped Nemneilhing as she sat in silent anguish, tears flowing freely, surrounded by neighbours, friends and strangers alike - all united in prayer. The Thadou Students' Association General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) in a statement offered condolences to the families of both the flight attendants in Thoubal and Kangpokpi. "Lamnunthem Singson... recently joined Air India as cabin crew in 2024, and her untimely death is a great loss to her family and the Thadou community. TSA extends heartfelt condolences to both bereaved families and assures all necessary assistance to the family of Lamnunthem Singson and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma's during this difficult time," the TSA GHQ said. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad airport this afternoon, in one of the worst ever aviation tragedies in India. There were 232 passengers and 10 crew on the flight which was headed to London. An Indian-origin British national -- the passenger of seat No. 11A -- survived the crash. The plane slammed into a hostel for doctors of a medical college, killing several students. Debris had pierced through the wall of the dining hall of the hostel, with food still visible on some of the plates. Several videos including CCTV at the airport showed the aircraft flying low and struggling to gain altitude before crashing and exploding in a massive ball of fire at 1.38 pm. It was loaded with fuel since it was flying a long distance to London. Shortly after take-off, the pilot sent out a mayday call. There was no response after that to repeated calls from the air traffic controller.
India Today
12-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Two Manipur women among cabin crew of Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad
Two women from Manipur are among the crew members aboard the ill-fated Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff in Nganthoi Sharma and Singson Lamnunthem are among 12 crew members of the flight that was headed to London's Gatwick. The ill-fated aircraft was carrying 242 people, of whom only one survived, Sharma is a resident of Thoubal district. While Singson, who originally belongs to Old Lambulane in Imphal West, has been residing in Kangpokpi district due to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the Manipur has been reeling from communal violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3, 2023, a conflict that has left over 250 dead and displaced more than 60,000 people. Both Sharma and Lamnunthem's families have been affected by the to IndiaToday, Goulun Singson, a relative of Lamnunthem, said, '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. Due to the Manipur crisis, our family, along with her, was displaced and is now staying in Kangpokpi.'He added that the family remains in anguish, anxiously awaiting news about her Thoubal district, grief filled the home of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma. When media teams arrived, emotional family members refrained from commenting. A relative quietly asked, 'Are you here for Nganthoi's death?' before declining to speak MLA Surjakumar Okram visited Sharma's residence and told reporters, 'We are still trying to trace Nganthoi. We are waiting for official confirmation from Air India and government authorities on her status.'Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, calling the incident heartbreaking, wrote on X, "I am deeply shocked and grieved by the tragic Air India flight crash near Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, this afternoon... 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."Air India, in a statement, confirmed that Flight AI171 departed at 13:38 IST, carrying nationals of several countries, including 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese passengers. At least two infants were also on airline stated that injured passengers were being transported to nearby hospitals and affirmed full cooperation with aviation authorities in the ongoing Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the crash site and met the injured as well as the lone survivor in Ahmedabad this said that almost all the bodies have been number of casualties are yet to be Reel
