LONDON (dpa-AFX) - A London-bound Air India plane with 242 people on board crashed shortly after take-off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad Thursday.
There are possibly no survivors of the accident, the worst air crash in India in recent years, news agencies reported quoting the city police chief.
Ahmedabad's city police commissioner G.S. Malik told media that the victims also included some residents of the area around the crash site.
The Flight AI 171, bound for London's Gatwick, took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM local time, or 4:08 AM ET.
The plane crashed into a residential area just outside the airport within seconds of take-off. It was engulfed in flames after slamming into a building.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, gave a mayday call to air traffic control after taking off, but then gave no response, according to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The last signal was received when the plane reached a height of 625 feet, according to Flight Radar.
The ill-fated plane was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew.
Of the passengers, there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese.
Vijay Rupani, who was the Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat, was among the passengers.
According to India's Federation of All India Medical Association, most of the passengers were brought to the hospital dead.
The victims include medical students who were staying in a hostel that was damaged in the plane crash.
Boeing said in a statement, 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.'
The plane's manufacturer said it was working to gather more information.
'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement posted on X.
'In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,' he added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his anguish following the plane crash involving 53 British nationals.
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