Imphal: The mortal remains of 26-year-old Lamnunthem Singson, a cabin crew member who tragically lost her life in the Air India Flight AI 171 crash, were received by her grieving family at Dimapur airport on Thursday. Singson, originally from Old Lambulane colony in Imphal and later a resident of Kangpokpi district in Manipur, was among the 241 individuals onboard the ill-fated flight that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12.
Her body was flown from Ahmedabad to Dimapur on an IndiGo flight. Family members, along with community representatives from the Kuki Students’ Organisation Sadar Hills (KSO-SH), gathered at the airport to pay their respects. Singson belonged to the Kuki community and was one of the many who had been displaced during the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in 2023.
A convoy of around 10 vehicles had left Kangpokpi early in the morning to receive her remains. Her body is expected to reach her hometown later tonight, where final rites will be held amid mourning and tributes.
Another cabin crew member from Manipur, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, from the Meitei community, also perished in the crash. Her remains have yet to be returned to the state, officials said.
The aviation disaster has cast a long shadow over Manipur, uniting communities in grief as they await the return of their loved ones.
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