An Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was operating Flight AI171 to London Gatwick when the incident occurred.

According to reports from Asian News International (ANI) and Reuters, at least 242 passengers were on board at the time of the crash. However, official confirmation of the total number of passengers and crew is still pending.

Thick plumes of black smoke were seen rising from the crash site near Meghani Nagar, a densely populated area adjacent to the airport. Emergency response teams, including fire brigades and ambulances, were immediately dispatched to the scene.