A pall of gloom descended upon Manipur as the mortal remains of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a young air crew member who tragically perished in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, were brought back to her home state on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Thousands of people lined the roads, their hearts heavy with sorrow, to pay their respects to the departed soul.
Nganthoi Sharma was an air crew member on the London-bound Air India flight AI 171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The crash claimed the lives of 270 people, including 241 passengers. One passenger miraculously survived the disaster.
The arrival of Nganthoi's remains at Imphal International Airport was met with profound grief and solemnity. Family members, airport officials, government representatives, and community leaders gathered to receive her body. Her father and elder sister, who had traveled to Ahmedabad for DNA testing to confirm her identity, accompanied the remains.
Imphal Airport, in a Facebook post, described the moment as profoundly moving. Nganthoi was received with deep dignity, solemn respect, and heartfelt sorrow by Team Imphal Airport, not merely as colleagues in uniform but as family in mourning, united in silence and reverence. With bowed heads and heavy hearts, she was tenderly handed over to her family, friends, and loved ones, whose presence spoke volumes of the love they carry and the void her absence leaves behind.
A cousin of Nganthoi Sharma said that airport officials, family members, and others paid floral tributes to her mortal remains after it was brought to Imphal airport aboard an IndiGo flight. The mortal remains were later taken to her residence in Thoubal on an open truck as thousands lined up on both sides of the road to pay their tributes. Her last rites would be conducted later in the evening, another family member said.
The streets of Imphal and Thoubal echoed with mourning as the procession carrying Nganthoi's body made its way to her home. Thousands of people lined the roads, showering flower petals and offering prayers for the young woman. The atmosphere was thick with grief, a testament to the impact Nganthoi had on her community.
Nganthoi Sharma was one of two flight attendants from Manipur who lost their lives in the Ahmedabad plane crash. The mortal remains of the other crew member, Lamnunthem Singson, were brought to the state on June 19, 2025, and laid to rest in Kangpokpi district.
The tragic loss of Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson has united the people of Manipur in sorrow. Their untimely demise serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment. The state mourns the loss of two of its bright and promising daughters, whose memories will forever be etched in the hearts of the people of Manipur.
