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'Her phone rang, but no one answered:' Air India cabin crew member's family shares ordeal after Ahmedabad crash
The 20-year-old flight attendant from Manipur was killed after an Air India plane carrying 242 passengers crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.
Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma was among the 12 cabin crew members on board the Air India flight which crashed on Thursday. The 20-year-old flight attendant from Manipur was killed after an Air India plane carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.
Her death was confirmed by former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh 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,” he wrote on X.
‘Her phone rang, but no one answered’
Speaking to PTI, the cabin crew member's family shared their ordeal as they tried to get in touch with Sharma.
"We called her up several times after receiving the news but nobody picked up the calls. The internet on her phone is also still on. However, we stopped calling her around 6 pm fearing it would drain the battery," K Khenjita, a relative of Nganthoi told the new agency.
Sharma's cousin also shared her last text message before take-off. “I'm going to London. In a few minutes, we'll take off. We may not be able to talk for a while,” Sharma texted her cousin.
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"We were devastated upon hearing the news... I was very close to her. Today, I can't help but remember what she had said earlier. She had said she was very scared of plane crash and did not know what she would do in such a scenario," Nganthoi's cousin added further.
The 20-year-old was recruited by Air India during a recruitment call in Imphal three years ago.
"She had applied for the job just to try her luck as she was studying an undergraduate course at that time. She got selected and was based in Mumbai," the cousin shared.
As per PTI, Nganthoi is the middle child among three siblings. Her eldest sister works in a private school and her youngest sister is a student in Class 9.
(With inputs from PTI)
