What we know so far after Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashes

An Air India passenger plane bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, western India on Thursday.

More than 240 people were on board the flight when it was involved in what the airline called a “tragic accident”.

Details are still emerging from the scene. Here is what we know so far.

Air India flight AI171 left Ahmadabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport bound for London Gatwick Airport.

It took off at 13:39 local time, Air India said, and was scheduled to land in Gatwick at 18:25 BST.

All operations have been suspended at Ahmedabad’s International Airport until further notice, a spokesperson said.

The passenger plane crashed on departure from Ahmedabad.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the signal from the aircraft was lost “less than a minute after take-off”.

Flight tracking data ends with the plane at an altitude of 625ft (190m).

The plane gave a mayday call to air traffic control, India’s aviation regulator said. No response was given by the aircraft after that.

It crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar.

Verified footage taken in central Ahmedabad showed huge plumes of black smoke in the sky.

There were 242 passengers and crew members on board, according to Air India.

Among the passengers were 53 British nationals, 169 Indian nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.

The aircraft – a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – had a total of 256 seats on board.

Air India said the injured were being taken to the nearest hospitals.

Officials have been instructed to carry out “immediate rescue and relief operations” and to make arrangements on a “war footing,” the chief minister of Gujarat said.

Air India’s chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said an “emergency centre has been activated” and a support team put in place for families seeking information.