A London-bound plane carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, India. The airline and police confirmed the incident, but details on casualties were not disclosed.

The aircraft was headed to London Gatwick Airport, as reported by Air India. The crash occurred in a residential area near Ahmedabad airport, according to local authorities.

The passengers included 217 adults and 11 children, with 169 Indian nationals, 45 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian on board, according to Air India.

The plane involved in the crash was identified as a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most advanced passenger aircraft in operation, according to aviation tracking site Flightradar24.

Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident involving Air India Flight 171. An emergency center has been activated to assist families seeking information about their loved ones.

Television footage captured the plane taking off before disappearing from view, followed by a massive cloud of fire rising from the crash site. Debris was seen on fire, with thick black smoke billowing near the airport.

The plane had departed from runway 23 at Ahmedabad airport, made a distress call, and lost contact with air traffic control. The last signal from the aircraft was received seconds after take-off, according to Flightradar24.

The Indian Directorate of Civil Aviation confirmed that the crash occurred in a residential area of Ahmedabad, five minutes after the plane took off. The flight was scheduled to land at London Gatwick at 6:25 pm Irish time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed relevant agencies to provide immediate support to the rescue efforts. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is closely monitoring the situation and ready to offer consular assistance.

Ahmedabad, located in Gujarat, is the main city in PM Modi's home state. All flight operations at the airport have been suspended following the crash.

The last fatal plane crash in India happened in 2020, involving an Air India Express flight. The airline, now under Tata Group's ownership, merged with Vistara in 2024.