Air India's flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff, officials said.

India's civil aviation authority said there were 242 people aboard, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. The crash happened during the aircraft’s takeoff phase.

Footage aired on Indian television showed burning debris and thick black smoke rising into the sky near the airport. Many passengers were seen being carried on stretchers and loaded into ambulances.

According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, the same Boeing 787 had earlier completed a flight from New Delhi to Ahmedabad on the morning of Thursday.