An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed immediately after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The flight was going to London. There were 232 passengers and 10 crew, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

A video of the aircraft flying low and struggling to gain altitude shows the plane slamming the ground and exploding in a massive ball of fire at 1.38 pm.

The airline in a statement said flight No. AI 171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest," Air India said in a statement.

Visuals from the site show a thick plume of grey smoke rising from the ground. At least two dozen ambulances have arrived and some have taken away injured people to hospital. The police have diverted traffic from the area.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he is personally monitoring the situation and directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.

"My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families," he said in a post on X.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said the aircraft piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hours of experience and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of experience made a Mayday call just before the crash.

Source: NDTV

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