Guwahati: A massive crowd filled the streets of Imphal to pay tribute to 23-year-old cabin crew member Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, who perished in the Air India Flight AI171 crash near Ahmedabad on June 12.
Her remains arrived on IndiGo Flight 6E 5118 from Ahmedabad via Delhi at 1.10 pm, and Imphal International Airport organized a dignified floral tribute.
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After the solemn ceremony, they placed her casket on an open truck and transported it to her home in Thoubal.
Thousands lined the route, some in stunned silence, others shedding tears, as petals rained and prayers accompanied the convoy.
In Thoubal, mourners, including family, friends, and political figures like INC MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and MLA Surjakumar Okram, joined together to honor her final journey.
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Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh, senior police officers, Airport Authority staff, and Air India personnel all stood in profound silence as the coffin arrived.
Nganthoi’s identity was confirmed via DNA matching with her father, Kongbrailatpam Nandesh Kumar Sharma, who, along with her elder sister, journeyed from Ahmedabad following weeks of emotional waiting.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, authorities processed the remains of Lamnunthem Singson, another crew member from Manipur, confirming her identity via DNA and returning her to Kangpokpi.
Her funeral took place after bypassing Imphal via Dimapur due to ongoing ethnic tensions.
The tragic loss of Nganthoi, a Meitei, alongside Singson, a Kuki, has drawn together Manipur’s ethnically diverse communities in a powerful display of shared mourning and a rare moment of solidarity amid ongoing tensions.