Imphal, June 13 (IANS) Twenty-six-year-old Lamnunthem Singson, who, along with 20-year-old Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma from Manipur, were killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, was the sole earning member of her (Singson) family.

Lamnunthem had last talked to her widowed mother, Nemnelihing Singson, over the phone on Wednesday (June 11), her family sources said.

The sources said that Lamnunthem, a crew member of Air India, informed her mother that she would fly to London on Thursday and wanted to sleep early the previous night. She was the only daughter of her family and had three brothers. Her father passed away some years ago, and her mother raised the four siblings, dealing with abject poverty.

Lamnunthem, a resident of the tribal inhabited Kangpokpi district, was from the tribal Thadou community. After receiving a call from the Air India authorities, her two brothers and a cousin are already on their way to Ahmedabad to complete the necessary formalities after the death of their loved one. Her mother is in deep shock and refuses to eat anything since she learnt the news of her daughter’s tragic death.

Lamnunthem and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma were among the 24 people onboard Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its way to London, which crashed minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. There has been no survivor except one passenger.

Meanwhile, former Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh has called for an international-level probe into the Ahmedabad plane crash. Speaking to the media after visiting Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma’s family, the veteran Congress leader expressed serious concern over the incident, describing the crash as a “deeply troubling aviation disaster that demands a transparent and thorough inquiry at the highest level.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh separately expressed shock and grief over the plane crash and the death of two young women from Manipur.

Sharma belonged to the non-tribal Meitei community and hailed from Manipur’s Thoubal district. A relative of Sharma said in Imphal that after hearing about the plane crash, they called her several times, but none of the calls were received. “Her mobile phone was also still on and it was continuously ringing,” K Khenjita, a relative of Sharma, said. Her last message before take-off was, “I’m going to London. In a few minutes, we’ll take off. We may not be able to talk afterwards.”

Sharma was recruited by Air India during a recruitment call in Imphal three years ago, while she was studying for an undergraduate course. “She got selected and was based in Mumbai,” family members said.

The Manipur Governor on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of two daughters of Manipur, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson. A Raj Bhavan statement said that the Governor extended sincere condolences to the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with the people of Manipur in this moment of grief.

“The loss of two young, talented daughters of the state is truly heartbreaking. Their lives held great promise, and their untimely passing is a deep loss not only to their families but to the entire state,” the Governor said. He said that their memory will be cherished, and their contributions will be remembered with pride.

–IANS

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