State bids tearful farewell to Air India crash victim Nganthoi Sharma

A wave of sorrow swept across Manipur on Sunday as the mortal remains of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, the young woman who tragically lost her life in the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, were brought home.
The remains arrived at Imphal International Airport in the afternoon, where a large crowd gathered to pay their last respects. The atmosphere was heavy with grief as family members, friends, and well-wishers wept and offered floral tributes. The coffin, carried aboard an Indigo flight, was received in a solemn ceremony attended by Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, senior police officials, Airport Authority staff, and Air India personnel.
Nganthoi’s father and elder sister, who had travelled to Ahmedabad for DNA identification, accompanied her body back to Manipur. Visibly distraught, they stood alongside the coffin, placing flowers and offering a silent farewell.
Nganthoi, who hailed from Thoubal Awang Leikai in Thoubal district, was one of two crew members from Manipur on the ill-fated flight. Earlier in the week, the remains of the other, Lamnunthem Singson of Kangpokpi, were returned to his hometown, where thousands gathered to mourn.
Following the reception at the airport, the body was transported to her native town in Thoubal on an open truck. Along the route, thousands of people gathered in mourning—some in silence, others in tears—as flower petals were showered and prayers offered. The journey through the streets became a powerful moment of collective grief, with residents joining together to honour the life of a young woman gone too soon.
The tragic loss of Nganthoi Sharma has united the people of Manipur in sorrow, her return marking a heartbreaking moment for the entire state.