An Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed in a residential area shortly after takeoff.
There are no known survivors at the time of this report.
The plane, Flight AI171, was travelling from India’s Ahmedabad to London Gatwick airport on Thursday when it crashed.
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Air India said there were 169 Indian nationals on the flight. Others were 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian, the BBC reports.
The plane crashed into an accommodation used by doctors, and many of the flats used by the doctors were damaged.
According to the city’s Police Commissioner G S Malik, it appeared that there were no survivors in the plane crash.
“As the plane had fallen in a residential area which also had offices, some locals would have also died. Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,” he said.
Mr Malik described the crash as “heartbreaking beyond words.”
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“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected,” he said.
In a statement shortly after the crash, Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, stated that the airline had set up an emergency centre and support team for families seeking information about those who were on the flight.
He said it is currently focused on “supporting all the affected people and their families.”
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said.
Commenting on the incident, British Cabinet minister Lucy Powell said also the UK government will provide as much support as it can.
“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,” she said, according to an AP report.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine aircraft. Since its introduction in 2009, over 1,000 units have been delivered to airlines worldwide.
According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft.
Boeing has also confirmed the crash and stated it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “working to gather more information.”
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