Ahmedabad, June 13 : Manisha Thapa, a young and dedicated air hostess from Bihar, was among the many lives lost in the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171, which went down shortly after departing from Ahmedabad on Thursday.
A native of Patna with ancestral roots in Viratnagar, Nepal, Manisha was on active duty as a cabin crew member when the aircraft met with disaster. Her life and aspirations were tragically cut short in the accident that has left her family and community in deep mourning.
Prior to joining Air India, Manisha had worked with IndiGo Airlines, where she was known for her commitment and professionalism. Her vibrant personality and ambition had earned her the admiration of colleagues and neighbors alike.
Manisha’s father, Raju Thapa, is currently posted in Begusarai with the Bihar Police, while her mother, Laxmi Thapa, is a homemaker. Her younger brother, Amit, is pursuing his studies. The Thapa family lives near Shyama Apartment on Jagdev Path in Patna. Two of her uncles, Bablu and Guddu Thapa, serve in the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP), Battalion No. 1.
The family received the tragic news on Thursday afternoon through a phone call from one of Manisha’s friends, who contacted her brother. Heartbroken and in shock, the family immediately left for Ahmedabad on a late evening IndiGo flight. Her uncle, Guddu Bahadur Thapa, confirmed the sequence of events and expressed the family’s immense grief.
At home in Patna, Manisha’s grandmother remains unaware of the loss, with the family choosing to withhold the painful news for now. Friends and neighbors remembered Manisha as a cheerful, diligent, and caring individual whose energy and warmth left a lasting impact on everyone she met.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner reportedly developed a severe technical malfunction shortly after takeoff, crashing in the Meghaninagar area into a densely built residential zone. Local authorities, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Air India’s emergency teams are involved in rescue and relief operations.
While details about the sole survivor’s medical condition remain undisclosed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the hospital to meet him. A preliminary investigation has already been initiated, and the DGCA has ordered a high-level probe into the crash.
The fatal crash of Air India’s Dreamliner occurred just two minutes after takeoff at 1:38 p.m., claiming the lives of all 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft plummeted into a densely populated area near BJ Medical College and City Civil Hospital, also resulting in multiple casualties on the ground.
