Ahmedabad crash: Two Manipuri crew members of London-bound Air India flight killed

Two cabin crew members from Manipur - Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma (20) and Lamnunthem Singson (26) – were killed when the London-bound Air India flight, carrying over 240 passengers, crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a social media post, confirmed the death of Sharma and Singson.

Singh, in a post on his social media platform X handle, said: "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."

"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. May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain," Singh said.

Sharma belonged to the Meitei community and hailed from Manipur's Thoubal, while Singson, a resident of Kangpokpi district, was from the tribal Thadou community.

A relative of Sharma said in Imphal that after hearing about the plane crash, they dialled her several times, but none of the calls were received.

"Her mobile phone was also still on and it was continuously ringing," K Khenjita, a relative of Sharma, 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 afterwards."

Sharma was recruited by Air India during a recruitment call in Imphal three years ago, while she was studying for an undergraduate course.

"She got selected and was based in Mumbai," family members said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former Chief Minister Singh expressed shock and grief over the plane crash.

"The Hon'ble Governor of Manipur has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic and shocking incident of an aircraft crash that occurred during a flight from Ahmedabad to London. He has prayed to the Almighty for the speedy recovery of all those injured in this unfortunate mishap," the Raj Bhavan said on its X handle.

Chief Ministers of all northeastern states – Assam (Himanta Biswa Sarma), Tripura (Manik Saha), Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu), Meghalaya (Conrad K. Sangma), Nagaland (Neiphiu Rio), Mizoram (Lalduhoma) – in separate posts in their X handles expressed deep shock over the plane crash.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), on its way to London, with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, crashed a few minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, were temporarily suspended after the accident, but resumed after a few hours.