Grief engulfs Manipur home as Air India crash kills young airhostess

In the quiet lanes of Manipur’s Thoubal town, a pall of grief hangs heavy over the Sharma household. Their daughter, 21-year-old Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, was among the cabin crew on board the Air India Dreamliner that crashed en route to London, leaving no survivors.

Just hours before the tragic flight, Nganthoi had made a routine yet heartfelt call to her elder sister. “She called around 11:30 am and said she was flying to London that day,” her father, Nandesh Kumar Sharma, recounted, his voice faltering. “She said she wouldn’t be able to call for a few days and that she would speak to us after returning on June 15. That was the last time we heard her voice.”

Around three hours later, chaos erupted in their home. His elder daughter, glued to her phone, rushed to him in panic. News alerts reported that an Air India flight had crashed shortly after takeoff. "We knew she was on that plane. But till now, we have received no official confirmation—only what we’ve seen on news and social media," Sharma said.

Nganthoi, the middle of three daughters, had just stepped into adulthood when she joined Air India in 2023—her first job. At 19, she was still a student at DM College in Imphal, preparing for her first-semester exams when she accompanied friends to a cabin crew interview. “They encouraged her to come along, and she got selected. I was happy she found a good job with a respected company,” said Sharma. “I thought she could come back and find something more stable in Manipur later.”

Based in Mumbai, Nganthoi lived with other Manipuri women working for the airline. Her job kept her constantly on the move, but she remained deeply connected to home. Her last visit was in March — an unannounced surprise during her father’s hospital stay.

“She never told us in advance,” her father said, eyes brimming with tears. “She would plan it secretly with her sister. Then we’d hear her at the gate, calling out with a laugh. She always looked after us. She was full of life, full of love.”

Now, the home she once lit up with sudden joy stands in silence — shattered by a journey she never returned from.