22-year-old Manipuri air hostess among crew killed in Air India crash

Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, 22, hailing from Manipur's Thoubal, was a member of the cabin crew of the London-bound Air India flight, carrying over 240 passengers, that crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.

Family members and officials of the Manipur government are trying to collect the details of Sharma, as there was no information on her fate, as per local media in Imphal.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former Chief Minister N Biren 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.

Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma poses for a photograph in Air India attire.

Biren Singh, in an X post, said: "I am deeply shocked and grieved by the tragic Air India flight crash near Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, this afternoon. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, carried 242 people on board. 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."

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.

Indo-Asian News Service