Over 240 dead in Air India plane crash

An Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board crashed on Thursday afternoon shortly after takeoff from an airport in western India, and officials said there was only one known survivor.

Flight AI171 departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat at 1:38 pm, and was due to arrive at Gatwick Airport in London at 6:25 pm local time.

Video footage on Indian news channels showed the plane crashing minutes after takeoff into a populated area right outside the airport. The airline said the flight was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian citizen, it said.

Indian media reports said the plane — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on top of a medical college hostel. Visuals showed the tail cone of the plane, with damaged stabilizer fins still attached, lodged atop a building. Reports said at least five medical students were killed and around 50 injured.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat, said he was stunned and saddened by the tragedy. "It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it," he said in a social media post.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes of the crash devastating. "I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families," he said.

The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane, which entered commercial service in 2011. This is the first crash ever involving this aircraft model, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

Boeing's shares tumbled on Thursday. The company said in a statement it stands ready to support Air India and is in contact with the airline. "Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected," it said.