An Air India flight bound for England crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing hundreds of passengers along with several people on the ground, according to local officials.

There were more than 240 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it went down. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said that one survivor was taken to the hospital. He identified the survivor as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, whom Dr. Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press "was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body." He added, "But he seems to be out of danger."

The aircraft exploded on impact in the Meghani Nagar area, crashing into a hostel at a local medical college just five minutes after departing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm local time. The crash site, located near densely populated residential areas, quickly caught fire, producing thick black smoke visible across the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a message on social media calling the incident “heartbreaking beyond words,” offering his condolences to those impacted.

Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, stated that at least five students from the medical college were confirmed dead. Around 50 others were injured, some critically. “Many people are feared buried in the debris,” Singh said.

The flight, headed to Gatwick Airport in London, was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, according to Air India.

This incident marks the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body twin-engine aircraft introduced in 2011. Boeing issued a statement confirming it was aware of the crash and “working to gather more information.” Aviation consultant John M. Cox noted that early visuals suggested the aircraft may have failed to climb properly after takeoff.

He emphasized that investigators would rely on the aircraft’s flight data recorders, which store thousands of parameters, to determine the cause.

British officials also responded. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the crash “devastating,” and Cabinet minister Lucy Powell told Parliament the government would provide support to affected families both in the UK and in India, reports the Associated Press.