An Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 242 people on board has killed “many people” after crashing in a busy urban area shortly after take-off near the country’s Ahmedabad airport.

The 242 people included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said.

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi said the crash was “heartbreaking”, while the country’s federal health minister said that “many people” were killed in the incident. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the scenes as “devastating” and said he was being updated as the situation develops.

Pictures from the scene show a large plume of smoke following the crash, with fire-fighting vehicles and other emergency services currently working at the scene.

It is believed the plane came down just minutes after departing Ahmedabad Airport and crashed onto a hostel for doctors, where it has been reported at least 30 bodies have been revoered . The total number of casualties and fatalities is not yet known.

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  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 4:23 am GMT-711 children on board Air India flight

    There were 11 children on board the Air India flight that crashed minutes after take-off, Reuters reported. The airline has not yet given an updated on how many people were injured in the crash, nor how many fatalities there were.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 4:16 am GMT-7Rescue workers seen at scene of crash in Ahmedabad
  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 4:09 am GMT-7Boeing shares tumble after Air India plane crash

    Shares in Boeing tumbled in pre-market trading on Thursday after one of its planes crashed shortly after taking off in India.

    The US-based airplane manufacturer, which has been blighted by safety issues in recent years, saw shares drop as much as 8%.

    A Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft bound for Gatwick airport, carrying 242 people including 53 British nationals, appeared to explode after crashing shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.

    Read the full story from PA.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:54 am GMT-7India’s PM speaks out after ‘heartbreaking’ Air India crash

    India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has said the Air India plane crash is “heartbreaking”, adding that he has been in touch with authorities working to assist those who have been affected.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:46 am GMT-7More than 30 bodies recovered from site of plane crash, rescue workers sayFirefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

    Firefighters work at the site of the Air India crash in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad. (AP)

    At least 30 bodies have been recovered from a building at the site of a plane crash in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, rescue personnel at the site told Reuters.

    More people were trapped inside, the rescue workers said.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:35 am GMT-7’Many people’ killed in Air India crash

    ‘Many people’ were reportedly killed in the Air India plane crash that happened just outside of Ahmedabad.

    According to India’s health minister “many people” died in the crash, which happened minutes into the London Gatwick-bound flight on Thursday. The plane crashed onto a doctors’ hostel, with local media reporting that a number of medical interns were feared dead.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:28 am GMT-7Gujarat former chief minister among passengers on Air India flight

    The former chief minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, was a passenger on the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:20 am GMT-7Keir Starmer says Air India scenes ‘devastating’Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends a reception for London Tech Week, at 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday June 10, 2025. (Jordan Pettitt/Pool Photo via AP)

    Prime minister Keir Starmer said the Air India scenes were devastating. (AP)

    Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the passengers and families of those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick that crashed in Ahmedabad.

    He said: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.

    “I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:15 am GMT-7Image shows debris from Air India crashSmoke rises amidst debris after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025, in this still image taken from video. ANI/Reuters TV via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. INDIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN INDIA.

    Smoke rises amidst debris after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, in this still image taken from video. (ANI/Reuters TV)

    Emergency services are continuing to work at the scene of an Air India crash outside of Ahmedabad. The image above shows debris from the crash, which happened just minutes after take-off, with 242 people on board.

    Officials have reported that some injured people have been transported to hospitals, but there has been no comment as yet on how many people were injured in the crash, nor whether there were any fatalities.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:11 am GMT-7Air India plane crashed on hostel for doctors

    The Air India plane that came down just minutes after departing Ahmedabad Airport crashed onto a hostel for doctors, a police official told Reuters,

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:10 am GMT-7Air India confirms number of people on plane

    The number of passengers and their nationalities was confirmed in a tweet by Air India. There were 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 3:04 am GMT-7UK government will provide ‘all the support it can’ to affected families following Air India crashFirefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

    Firefighters work at the site the Air India crash in Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. Fifty-three British nationals were on board. (AP)

    House of Commons leader Lucy Powell, responding to the crash of the Air India flight carrying 53 British nationals, said: “The thoughts of the whole House and the government will be with the families of those traveling on flight AI171 from Ahmedabad in India to London, Gatwick, which has reportedly crashed.

    “This is an unfolding story, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many, many families and communities here and those waiting for the arrival of their loved ones.

    “We send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to all those families, and the government will provide all the support that it can with those in India and those in this country as well.”

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:58 am GMT-753 British nationals on board Air India plane that crashed minutes into flight

    Fifty-three British nationals were on board an Air India flight bound for Gatwick airport which crashed after take-off in Ahmedabad, Air India said.

    The government will provide “all the support that it can” to those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick Airport which crashed shortly after take off, Commons leader Lucy Powell said.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:50 am GMT-7Air India chairman says emergency centre set up for families of passengers

    Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who is also chairman of Tata Group, said in a statement following the Air India crash that an emergency centre had been set up for families seeking information about their loves ones.

    “At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said in a tweet.

    “We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted. Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information.”

    There has been no news as yet on how many people were injured in the crash, nor whether there were any fatalities.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:46 am GMT-7Where did the Air India crash happen?

    A map shows the point an Air India flight bound for Gatwick crashed, just minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:42 am GMT-7Gujarat minister calls for rescue efforts on ‘war footing’

    The chief minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, wrote on Twitter that rescue and relief operations will be carried out immediately, on “war footing”.

    “I have also instructed officials to arrange a green corridor to transport the injured passengers for treatment and to ensure all necessary medical arrangements are made at the hospital on priority,” he said.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:35 am GMT-7Civil Aviation director confirms 242 people on Air India flight

    Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that the flight, a Boeing 787, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard and emergency teams have been activated at the airport, he said.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:33 am GMT-7All flights suspended from AhmedabadFirefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

    Firefighters work at the site of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. (AP)

    A spokesperson for Ahmedabad airport has said that all flights have been suspended following the earlier Air India crash. Emergency crews are continuing to work at the scene, with no word yet on the number of injured people, nor whether there were any fatalities.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:32 am GMT-7Gatwick Airport confirms it was intended destination of Air India flight

    Gatwick Airport has confirmed it was the intended destination of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.

  • Thu 12 June 2025 at 2:28 am GMT-7Last signal from plane received ‘seconds’ after takeoff

    A flight tracking website has shown it received its last signal from the Air India flight ‘seconds’ after takeoff – moments before the plane crashed.