A symbol of resilience, Lamnunthem rose from the ashes of ethnic violence to fly high with Air India, only to be lost in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
BY PC Bureau
June 14, 2025 — Fate can be cruel. On June 12, 2025, 26-year-old Lamnunthem Singson, a young cabin crew member with Air India, boarded Flight AI171 as a last-minute replacement for a colleague who had called in sick. It was not her scheduled flight. But out of duty and her unwavering commitment to her work, Lamnunthem volunteered to step in. Hours later, the London-bound Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming 241 lives — including hers.
The news has left Manipur, and particularly the Kuki-Zo community, in stunned grief. That one decision — an act of quiet professionalism — placed Lamnunthem on a flight that would never complete its journey. Her mother, Nemneilhing Singson, with whom she prayed every night over the phone, still hasn’t come to terms with the loss. Their final conversation was the night before, when Lamnunthem had told her she was heading to bed early to prepare for duty. “We prayed like we always did,” her mother whispered, “but she never came back.”
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Lamnunthem, born on November 13, 1998, was the only daughter of her widowed mother and the third of four siblings. Her father, Lienminlun Singson, passed away when she was still a teenager. In May 2023, ethnic violence engulfed Manipur, forcing the Singson family to flee their home in Imphal’s Old Lambulane — a historic locality with a once-thriving Kuki community. They have since been living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in a rented house in Ngambom Veng, Kangpokpi.
#planecrash Lamnunthem Singson, a beacon of strength, lost her life in the #AhmedabadPlaneCrash. She overcame Imphal’s ethnic violence, inspiring many with courage & determination. Her legacy will continue to inspire others to face challenges with bravery.
Rest in Peace Naoneo🕊️ pic.twitter.com/0iLHXvYoVK
— Chengchengpi 🍁 (@Chengchengpi) June 13, 2025
Despite the upheaval, Lamnunthem emerged as the family’s anchor. Her eldest brother, Ngamlienthang, is undergoing treatment for a serious illness in Guwahati. Her youngest, Lenjathang, is still a student. The second brother, Thanggoulam, along with a cousin, left for Ahmedabad via Dimapur upon hearing the devastating news. Ngamlienthang is making his way from Guwahati to join them.
Lamnunthem’s early education began at Lee Faith School in Paite Veng, which was destroyed during the 2023 conflict. She completed her matriculation from Christ Jyoti School, Mantripukhri, and her higher secondary from HRD Academy. She graduated from GP Women’s College, Imphal, and joined Air India in February 2023 — a dream job she landed through sheer grit and resolve.
Friends recall her as warm, grounded, and deeply responsible. “She carried her family on her shoulders,” said a childhood friend. “She was our pride — the girl who rose above the ashes.”
Her tragic death has triggered an outpouring of sorrow on both sides of Manipur’s ethnic divide. Civil society groups, community leaders, and ordinary citizens alike took to social media to mourn her alongside fellow air hostess Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a Meitei from Thoubal who also died in the crash. Posts flooded X (formerly Twitter) — expressing heartbreak, solidarity, and calling both women “daughters of Manipur.”
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“She wasn’t supposed to be on that flight,” one user wrote. “She stepped up because someone else couldn’t — that’s the kind of person she was.”
In Kangpokpi, neighbours and displaced families lit candles outside Lamnunthem’s home. In Churachandpur and Imphal, people gathered in prayer. Across the hills and the valley, grief momentarily dissolved boundaries.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla called her death “an irreparable loss.” Former CM N. Biren Singh and opposition leaders also paid tributes. “She served with pride, and died in duty,” one statement read.
For her family, the grief is still unbearable. The body has yet to return home. But Lamnunthem’s story — of resilience, duty, and a cruel twist of fate — is now etched in Manipur’s memory. Her life was short, but it carried more weight than many who live twice as long.
In a land torn by conflict, she soared above it all — and in death, united the broken.
