Air India flight with 53 British nationals on board headed to London crashes in Ahmedabad

A plane carrying hundreds of people travelling to the UK including 53 British nationals has crashed into a residential area. The Air India flight going to Gatwick Airport reportedly hit the ground in Ahmedabad, India and is up in flames.

Fire engines have rushed to the scene as 242 people were believed to be inside. Air India said of these 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.

The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals and a dedicated passenger hotline number has been set up, the flight carrier said.

Videos being widely shared show a huge plume of black smoke rising from the site of the crash in the Meghani area of the city.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner jet had just taken off from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport before the crash.

Associated Press reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had confirmed there were 242 people on board including 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

The airport, often called Ahemdabad airport, and officially known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, is based in the Indian state of Gujarat, where the country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi hails from.

The airport is said to be the busiest and the largest airport in the state. It is named after the country's first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

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