An Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, resulting in multiple fatalities, officials confirmed. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with the registration VT-ANB, was carrying 242 people, including 217 adults and 11 children.

According to Air India, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. The plane went down in a civilian area near the airport, striking a doctors’ hostel building. Emergency responders rushed to the site, where thick black smoke and flames were seen rising from the wreckage.

The aircraft departed from runway 23 at 1:39 p.m. local time and issued a "Mayday" distress call moments after take-off, air traffic control officials confirmed. Flightradar24, a leading flight-tracking platform, reported receiving the last signal from the plane just seconds after it became airborne. Communication was lost immediately after the emergency call.

Footage aired on local television showed the aircraft ascending over a residential area before vanishing from view. Seconds later, a large fireball erupted beyond the houses. Videos from the scene showed charred debris, injured passengers being carried on stretchers, and ambulances transporting victims to nearby hospitals.

A senior police officer at the crash site said that the aircraft had struck a doctors’ hostel. India’s federal health minister confirmed that “many people” had died, though an official casualty count has yet to be released.

All flight operations at Ahmedabad airport have been suspended until further notice. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Air India said it is working closely with emergency authorities and that the injured are being treated at local hospitals. The airline added that further updates would be shared as soon as possible.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Boeing and other regulatory bodies are expected to support the inquiry. This is one of the most serious aviation incidents in India in recent years, involving one of the world’s most advanced passenger aircraft.