Rescue personnel at the site said at least 30 bodies have been recovered so far from a building at the site of the plane crash. More people were trapped inside, Reuters quoted the rescue workers as saying.

Air India said the Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 242 passengers and crew members, it said, adding that the injured were being taken to the nearest hospitals.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said signal from the plane was lost less than a minute after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38pm (1:18pm PKT).

According to air traffic control at the Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft gave a “Mayday” call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter, there was no response from the aircraft.

According to The Guardian: “The Air India tragedy in Ahmedabad is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed.

“While airlines using the Boeing plane have had widespread problems with engines on the 787 plane, leaving many having to ground planes and reduce flights, the 787’s safety record in service has been so far good,” the report by Guardian’s transport correspondent Gwyn Topham added.

Al Jazeera also reported that it was the “first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft”, citing the Aviation Safety Network database.

Visuals from right after the crash showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. TV channels also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

In its statement, Air India detailed that 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian national were among the people on board, with the nationalities of the 12 others not specified. Times of India quoted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as saying that the 242 people comprised 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members.

The airline affirmed that it was giving its “full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident”. It also provided a dedicated passenger hotline number for more information: 1800 5691 444.

In a statement, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed “profound sorrow” over the tragic accident.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” said a statement shared by the Tata Group on X.

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

The Air India chairman noted an emergency centre had been activated and a support team had been set up for families seeking information.

India’s Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on X “many people” have died in the crash.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu directed “all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action”.

“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he added.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”

Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8pc to $199.13 in pre-market trade.

London’s Gatwick airport said on X that more information on the crash would follow.

In August 2020, an Air India Express plane crash-landed at Kerala’ state’s Kozhikode airport, claiming the lives of 21 people, including 19 passengers and the flight’s two pilots, and injuring 76.

In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in southwest India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board.

In one of the worst aviation disasters in India, two passenger planes collided mid-air near New Delhi in 1996, with the loss of all 349 on board both flights.

Decades earlier, an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London in June 1985 crashed into the sea off Ireland with 329 people on board and leaving no survivors.

Condolences poured in as leaders across the world reacted to the aviation incident.

Former foreign minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari said he was “saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred”, mentioning the Air India crash.