BBC News
ReutersAn Air India passenger plane heading to London's Gatwick airport crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, western India on Thursday, killing 241 passengers and crew.
At least eight local people on the ground, including four medical students, were killed, health officials told the BBC.
It was later revealed that the passengers on the plane, the British, had survived.
On board were Indians, British, Portuguese and Canadians. Details are still coming out of the scene.
When and where did the plane crash?
Air India Flight AI171 has left Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 13:39 local time (08:09 GMT).
We were scheduled to land at Gatwick London at 18:25 BST.
After departing Ahmedabad, the plane lost altitude and crashed into a residential area in a city called Megani Nagar.
ReutersAccording to Flightradar24 on the Flight Tracking website, the signal from the aircraft was lost “within a minute of takeoff.”
Flight tracking data ends at an altitude of 625 feet (190m) in the plane.
The plane gave air traffic controllers a Mayday call, India's aviation regulator said. No response was given by the aircraft after that.
The doctor's hostel attacked
The plane crashed into a building that was used as a doctor's accommodation at Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital.
It was lunchtime at the hostel when part of the plane crashed off the roof of the dining room.
Photos taken after the crash showed abandoned tables and plates of food in the hostel's dining room. At the far end of the room, people gather to examine a large hole in the wall.
One woman on the scene said her son was injured when she jumped from the second floor of the hostel when the plane crashed.
Dr. Minakshi Parik, dean of BJ Medical College and Civic Hospital, told the BBC that at least four students and four doctor parents had died.
On Friday, hospital staff were busy trying to identify their bodies as hundreds of relatives waited worriedly for the news.
“We rely on DNA matching to identify them,” Dr. Parik said. “It's just that we can't afford to rush or make mistakes.”
Families are asked to submit DNA samples to the hospital so that doctors can confirm whether there is a match with the body found.
Officials say they will release the official death toll once all DNA tests are completed.
Validated footage, taken in Central Ahmedabad, showed a huge plume of black smoke in the sky.
BBC's Roxy Gagdekar said people near the scene are running to “save as many lives as possible.”
He said emergency services were involved in rescue operations and were trying to wipe out the fire, and he saw bodies being taken from the area.
Who was on board?
Air India confirmed that there were 242 passengers and crew members on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
There were 169 Indians, 53 British people, 7 Portuguese nationals, 1 Canadian and a crew of 12 people.
The only survivor of the crash was the British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who sat in seat 11a.
Indian state broadcaster DD News spoke to Ramesh, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
“I still can't believe I left it alive,” he said.
“At first I thought I was going to die. I managed to open my eyes, unscrew my seat belt and leave the plane.”
Ramesh said the side of the plane he sat in did not hit the hostel, and he approached the first floor. “My door broke and I saw a small space,” he said. “I was about to leave the plane.”
He said he had no idea where his brother Ajay was on the plane.
The foreign office is in touch with Ramesh “to provide consul support,” Downing Street said.
A family from Gloucester – Aquir Nanabava, his wife Hanna Volazie and daughter Sarah are among those on the flight. In a statement, Gloucester Muslim community said it was “deeply heartbroken” and provided its “deepest saddening dol opinion” to its families.
Ammala Taju, the granddaughter of the plane couple, told the BBC from her parents' home in Blackburn that the family is “cling to hope” still alive.
Adam Taj, 72, and his wife, Hasina, 70, live with his wife, along with his wife's son, Altafusen Patel, 51.
“The emergency center has been revitalized,” a support team has been introduced for families seeking information, said Air India Chairman Natara Janchandra Sekaran.
The Foreign Office said that British citizens who are concerned about friends and family should call 0207 008 5,000. As of Friday morning, Downing Street said the helpline received “nearly 300” calls.
What do you know about planes?
The aircraft involved was the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The model was released 14 years ago. Just six weeks ago, Boeing praised the fact that it had reached the milestone of carrying 1 billion passengers.
Air India operates a fleet of more than 190 planes, including 58 Boeing aircraft, according to its website.
The crashed 787 Dreamliner was 11 years old and completed more than 700 flights in the year leading up to the disaster, Flightradar24 data shows.
In a statement, Boeing said: “We are ready to contact Air India regarding Flight 171 and support them. Our thoughts are that the passengers, crew, first responders and everything is affected.”
India's aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the entire Boeing 787 fleet of airlines.
The Director of Civil Aviation also announced that starting June 15th, a one-time check of takeoff parameters will be implemented for each departure of a Boeing 787-7 or 787-9 plane. Power guaranteed checks begin in two weeks.
Did the wing flap play a role in causing the crash?
Aviation experts told the BBC the location of the plane's wing flap as the plane caused problems.
One video verified by the BBC shows that the plane descends before a major explosion occurs when hit on the ground.
“When I'm watching this, the mask is still down, but the flap has been withdrawn,” said air analyst Jeffrey Thomas.
Another expert, Terry Tozer, said: “It's certainly very difficult to say from the video. It looks like the flap has been expanded, which would be a completely obvious explanation for the aircraft not completing takeoff properly.”
“If the flap is not set up correctly, we will point out potential human error,” says Marcochan, a former pilot and senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire News University. “But the video resolution is too low to see that.”
What did the airlines and authorities say?
After confirming that the London-bound flight was “engaged in today's accident after takeoff,” Air India said it was fully cooperating with authorities investigating the crash.
The airline has set up a dedicated passenger hotline to provide further information: 1800 5691 444.
A spokesman for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport said all operations had been suspended until further notice. They encouraged passengers to check with the airline before traveling to the airport.
Tata Group, which owns Air India, says it will give each person's family killed in the crash to 1 trillion rupees (around £86,000). He also said it would cover hospital bills for injured people and help rebuild the medical school hostel.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson described his “deep sadness” following the incident.
“This has been a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts are now fully focused on the needs of our passengers, crew, their families and loved ones,” he said in a video statement.
APThe Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash. A team of US investigators led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) travels to India to lend support.
Air India and Boeing said they will cooperate in the investigation.
On Friday, India's civil aviation minister said that two black boxes or one of the flight data recorders on the plane were obtained from the crash site in Ahmedabad.
“This shows important progress in the investigation,” said Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarap. “This will greatly support the investigation of the incident.”
How did India and the UK react?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the location of the crash crash in his hometown of Gujarat on Friday, later saying in a post by X that “the scene of devastation is sad.”
Modi also visited the Municipal Hospital in Ahmedabad and met some of the people injured in the disaster.
British Prime Minister Kierstama said the Ahmedabad scene was “absolutely devastating.”
Foreign Secretary David Lamey said the UK is working with local governments in India to provide assistance in “urgently establishing the facts.”
A team of UK experts has also been deployed to India to support for formal investigations.
King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “deeply shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad” and spread their sympathy to those affected.
The King said in a statement: “I would like to pay particular tribute to the heroic efforts of emergency services and to all those who provide support and support during this most heartbreaking and traumatic time.”
