Patna, June 13 (IANS) Manisha Thapa, a young air hostess from Patna, was among the people who lost their lives in the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Manisha, who was on duty as a crew member, hailed from Patna, though her ancestral roots trace back to Viratnagar, Nepal.

She had previously worked with IndiGo Airlines before joining Air India. Her promising career was cut short in a catastrophe that has left her family devastated.

Her father, Raju Thapa, is posted in Begusarai with the Bihar Police, while her mother, Laxmi Thapa, is a homemaker. Her younger brother, Amit Thapa, is currently a student.

The family resides near Shyama Apartment on Jagdev Path in Patna. Two of her uncles, Bablu Thapa and Guddu Thapa, serve as Havildars in the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP), Battalion No 1.

Upon receiving the heartbreaking news, the grief-stricken family left for Ahmedabad late Thursday by IndiGo Airlines.

Manisha’s uncle, Guddu Bahadur Thapa, said, “We got information about the incident yesterday afternoon. One of her friends called Manisha’s brother and told him about the incident.”

Manisha’s grandmother has not been informed about her death.

Neighbours remembered Manisha as an ambitious, cheerful, and hardworking young woman whose warmth and dedication had endeared her to everyone around her.

The ill-fated Air India flight, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1.38 p.m. on Thursday. Merely two minutes into the flight, it crashed into a residential area near City Civil Hospital and BJ Medical College, striking a medical hostel and killing several people on the ground.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the site and took stock of the rescue operations, expressing deep condolences over the loss of lives.

–IANS

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