“No word from Air India”: Manipur father learned of daughter's death via social media

The grieving family of 21-year-old Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, a cabin crew member onboard the ill-fated Air India London-bound flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, says they received no official communication from the airline and only learned of her death through social media.

“Air India has not informed us of anything. I got the information only through social media,” said her father, Kongrailatpam Nandesh Kumar Sharma, speaking from their home in Thoubal. 

His voice choked as he added, “My eldest daughter has gone there… My son is in Delhi. They will now head to Ahmedabad… I have nothing left to speak.”

Nganthoi was among the 241 people who lost their lives in the devastating crash that left only one survivor among the 242 on board. She had been on duty as part of the cabin crew and was one of two young crew members from Manipur on the flight.

The family is now grappling with shock and silence, while the search and identification of victims continues in Ahmedabad. Nganthoi's death is a heartbreaking reminder of the many young lives lost in the crash, and the gaps in communication that grieving families are still confronting.

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The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has expressed profound grief over the deaths of two young women from Manipur who were killed in a recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad.

Speaking on behalf of the people of Manipur, COCOMI described the loss of cabin crew members Namlunthem Singson and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma as a tragedy that has shaken the entire state. Both women were in their early twenties and working as flight attendants when the aircraft went down.

The organisation issued an official statement mourning what it called the "untimely demise of two precious young daughters of our soil." Singson was a resident of Old Lambulane, Imphal, while Sharma hailed from Thoubal district.

"Their dreams, dedication, and courage to fly high represented the aspiration and spirit of the youth of Manipur," COCOMI stated in its press release. "Their loss is not only personal to their families but also a collective heartbreak for the entire people of Manipur."

The coordinating committee emphasised that the deaths represent more than individual tragedies, describing them as a blow to the broader Manipur community. The two women had become symbols of young people from the state pursuing careers in India's aviation industry.