Two Manipur natives, a Meitei from Thoubal and a Kuki-Zo from Imphal, were among the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash on Thursday.

Both were cabin crew members of the Air India flight.

An official from Thoubal said that 22-year-old Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam was a Meitei from Thoubal Awang Leikai in Thoubal district and had joined the airline in October 2022.

A cousin said her last message before takeoff was: "I'm going to London. In a few minutes, we'll take off. We may not be able to talk for a while."

The Kuki-Zo crew member on the flight was Lamnunthem Singson, who was in her late-twenties.

Singson was originally from Imphal, but her family shifted to Kangpokpi after the clash broke out between the Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis, a Kuki-Zo civil society organisation member said.

Former Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh posted on X: “It is heartbreaking to share that two young cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among those who lost their lives in today’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad.”

“Both were full of life, serving with dedication and pride. Their sudden passing is a huge loss for their families, friends and for all of us back home. May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain,” Singh added.

Last call to mom

Deepak Pathak, another crew member from Thane, had last spoken to his mother, saying “good morning”, his sister said.

Pathak, a resident of Badlapur in Thane district, was working as a cabin crew member with Air India for 11 years, his sister told reporters.

They have not heard about him since the news of the crash came, Pathak's sister said. A family member said his phone rang after they tried to make contact, though no one answered it. “We will not accept the worst as long as his phone rings,” a family member said.

Additional reporting from PTI