Two cabin crew members from Manipur, Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam and Lamnunthem Singson, were among the 242 people who lost their lives in the devastating Air India crash near Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, June 12.
The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating a London-bound flight, went down shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. According to Air Traffic Control, the pilot issued a ‘Mayday’ distress signal within seconds of departure at 1:39 PM, indicating a full-scale emergency.
The aircraft was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with over 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had logged approximately 1,100 flying hours.
The full cabin crew team consisted of ten members, including senior crew Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik, along with Saineeta Chakravarti, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa. All are confirmed to have died in the crash.
Air India confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
Eyewitness footage and videos captured the aircraft plummeting to the ground after struggling to gain altitude. Aviation sources reported the plane only reached an altitude of 600 to 800 feet before it began descending rapidly and ultimately burst into flames.
The aircraft first struck the mess building of BJ Medical College Civil Hospital before crashing into the Atulyam Hostel, which housed senior resident doctors. Both buildings sustained significant structural damage.
Rescue teams have confirmed the recovery of the aircraft’s black box, which includes the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Investigators say it will play a critical role in determining the exact cause of the crash.
